• Jordan Hamilton, Kirk McCarroll, Luz Maria Kisiel, Kathleen Jagger, and Lindsey Boulet.
• Shuswap Lake General Hospital, 601 10th Street NE, Salmon Arm, BC, V1E 4A7, Canada. jordan.hamilton@interiorhealth.ca.
• Can J Anaesth. 2024 Feb 27.

PurposeThe aim of this project was to collect data on the delivery of anesthesia in Canada. Specifically, our goal was to increase knowledge by identifying provider demographics and different models of anesthesia delivery, and to explore relationships among specialist anesthesiologists (SAs) and family practice anesthetists (FPAs) with a focus on mentoring.MethodsAn online questionnaire was circulated to SAs and FPAs holding membership with the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society or the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada. A total of 274/2,578 individuals completed the survey (170 SAs and 104 FPAs), providing a response rate of 10.6%. The survey included questions about demographics, anesthesia training, anesthesia resources, models of care, and mentoring relationships.ResultsThree major themes emerged from the data: 1) FPAs and rural operating rooms are underused resources as 65% (64/98) of FPAs reported having capacity to increase their individual volume of anesthesia services and 41% (40/98) thought capacity existed within their hospital to increase the volume of surgery; 2) 20 hospitals employed a mixed model of anesthesia care whereby SAs and FPAs worked collectively within the same site; providers working within this model reported high levels of satisfaction and independence; 3) most SAs and FPAs perceived a benefit to mentoring and were interested in participating in a mentoring program.ConclusionThis survey shows perceived capacity to expand surgical services in rural areas, a precedent for a mixed SA-FPA model of anesthesia delivery at the same site, and desire for anesthesia providers to engage in mentoring. Such options should be considered to strengthen the physician-led anesthesiology profession in Canada.© 2024. Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.

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