Staffing the Operating Room Suite: Perspectives from Europe and North America on the Role of Different Anesthesia Personnel

In North America and Europe, a spectrum of anesthesia personnel exists to deliver anesthesia care. The common transatlantic features, however, are increasing demand for and shortage of anesthesia caregivers. Mechanisms counteracting this shortage include increased entry into practice from higher numbers of anesthesia residents and changes in the delivery of anesthesia care by extension of the role of nonphysician anesthesia providers. The training, professional and technical roles, and workforce contribution of anesthesiologists, anesthetists, and various support personnel in Europe and the United States are described. Current and future factors influencing the relationship between provider availability, use, and demand differ across the Atlantic and within Europe.