Practice Variation and Quality: US Anesthesia Partners

In in this case, students are introduced to US Anesthesia Partners (USAP), a physician owned anesthesiology provider that operates across the United States in various inpatient and outpatient facilities. In 2015, USAP is still a relatively young practice but keen to set itself apart from peers by building processes that reduce variation and ensures consistency across the care provided by all of its anesthesiologists. Students will learn about variability in physician treatment, the difference between fee-for-service and value-based fees, and how these apply to the field of anesthesiology. Students will also learn about how USAP collected data to assess how operational effectiveness is tied to a set order of procedures, and how the organization used this to standardize its care and improve outcomes, especially as anesthesiology practitioners faced the issue of pain management and post-procedural opioid addiction.