The University of Michigan Health System, based in Ann Arbor, will serve as the coordinating center for a new collaborative program launched by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network for hospitals to improve anesthesiology practices, reduce anesthesiology-related complications and improve patient outcomes.
Through the program, anesthesiologists and surgeons will look at variation in processes and techniques to develop best practices.
"We're going to look at pertinent anesthesiology care process to develop safer systems and recommended guidelines for perioperative care," said Sachin Kheterpal, MD, MBA, project director for this initiative and associate chair for Clinical Affairs and Quality in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan Health System. Since the program is collaborative across many care sites, data from procedures performed in many different hospitals will be available to participants.
The program will focus on the following areas:
- Best type of anesthesia for specific procedures
- Benefits and variations in use of general, regional and local anesthesia
- Effective monitoring techniques
- Fluid administration, ventilator management and muscle paralysis management
The program is part of the Michigan Blues' Collaborative Quality Initiative program.