Family-practice anesthesia in british columbia.

This study of family practitioners as anesthetists is based on data extracted from records of the Medical Services Plan of British Columbia. During the period from 1976 to 1986, the proportion of anesthetics that were administered by non-certified anesthetists declined from 28.3% to 22.1% of the total number. Small and medium-sized hospitals continue to depend on family-physician anesthetists. Family practitioners make up 96.9% of all anesthetists practising in hospitals with fewer than 50 beds and 88.2% of anesthetists in hospitals with 50-99 beds. Rural areas are served almost exclusively by family-practice anesthetists, since 16 of 29 B.C. regional districts have one or no certified anesthetists. The author discusses the implications of this situation for the future of family-practice anesthesia.