The Role of the Preoperative Clinic in Perioperative Risk Reduction

Racial and Ethnic Patient Care Disparities in Anesthesiology: History, Current State, and a Way Forward

Disparities in patient care and outcomes are well-documented in medicine but have received comparatively less attention in anesthesiology. Those disparities linked to racial and ethnic identity are pervasive, with compelling evidence in operative anesthesiology, obstetric anesthesiology, pain medicine, and critical care. This narrative review presents an overview of disparities in perioperative patient care that is grounded in historical context followed by potential solutions for mitigating disparities and inequities.

Preoperative Clinics

Preoperative evaluation clinics have been shown to enhance operating room efficiency, decrease day-of-surgery cancellations, reduce hospital costs, and improve the quality of patient care. Although programs differ in staffing, structure, financial support, and daily operations, they share the common goal of preoperative risk reduction in order for patients to proceed safely through the perioperative period. Effective preoperative evaluation occurs if processes are standardized to ensure clinical, regulatory, and accreditation guidelines are met while keeping medical optimization and patient satisfaction at the forefront. Although no universally accepted standard model exists, there are key components to a successful preoperative process.