Committee on Research Update: Nationwide Clinical Practice Patterns of Anesthesiology Critical Care Physicians published in Anesthesia and Analgesia
by Matthew Warner, MD, Shahzad Shaefi, MD, MPH, and Robert D. Stevens, MD, FCCM
Two years ago under the leadership of Drs. Robert Stevens and Matthew Warner the SOCCA Research Committee formed the SOCCA Data Subcommittee which was charged with expanding the portfolio of survey information that would be of interest and utility to our membership.
This month we are glad to showcase some work recently published in Anesthesia and Analgesia highlighting the first of these surveys as key deliverables from the Research Committee.
We felt one of our first tasks was to gain an understanding of contemporary clinical practice of our subspecialty for a multitude of reasons—to recognize the opportunities and challenges facing critical care anesthesia, optimize staffing patterns, assess sustainability and satisfaction, and strategically plan for future activity, scope and training.
Therefore, after appropriate IRB approval, this study invited members of SOCCA sourced through our membership distribution list to evaluate practice patterns of critical care anesthesiologists using a voluntary online survey between May and June 2021. Respondents were asked to describe practice patterns at their respective institutions, and provide information about their demographics, salaries, effort in ICUs as well as other activities.
490 participants were invited to take this survey and 157 (response rate 32.0%) surveys were completed and analyzed. In terms of key findings, the majority of respondents were white (73%), male (69%), and under 50 years of age (82%). The cardiothoracic/cardiovascular ICU was the most common practice setting, with 69.5% of respondents reporting time working in this unit. Significant variability was observed in ICU practice patterns.
Respondents reported spending an equal proportion of their time in clinical practice in the operating rooms and intensive care units (median 40%, IQR 20-50%). Female respondents reported salaries that were $36,739 less than males; however, this difference was not statistically different and after adjusting for age and practice type, these differences were less pronounced (-$27,479.79, 95% CI: -$57,232.61 to $2,273.03; p = 0.07). Some other key results are also depicted here graphically.
These survey data provide a current snapshot of anesthesiology critical care clinical practice patterns in the United States. In the future, additional granular information about factors affecting compensation, temporal trends in ICU coverage and clinical practice patterns can help inform decisions on staffing, clinical organization and compensation. We wish to thank all authors for this contribution, the SOCCA Board of Directors for their guidance and support in this endeavor and of course our Society’s membership for taking the time to contribute.
Authors
Matthew Warner, MD
Chair, Research Committee
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
Shahzad Shaefi, MD, MPH
Vice Chair, Research Committee
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts
Robert D. Stevens, MD, FCCM
Immediate Past Chair, Research Committee
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Drip
March 2023

February 2023



January 2023

SOCCA Reception at 2023 SCCM Critical Care Congress in San Francisco
Date: 1/23/2023
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Location: Hilton Union Square (333 O’Farrell Street)
Room: Franciscan A


When: February 2, 2023 | 6:00 PM ET
Where: Register online
Description: Join us for our first Early Career Intensivist Group Meet and Greet of the year on February 2 at 6pm ET. We will have SOCCA board member Dr. Ashish Khanna joining us for a lively discussion about navigating through life as an Early Career Intensivist. We look forward to seeing you soon!

December 2022


Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) / Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) / Cardio Thoracic ICU (CTICU) Workgroup
Members who have a special interest in MCS are invited to join this workgroup. Our first meeting will be January 19, 2023, at 5PM CST. Please register in advance: SOCCA CTICU/ECMO Meetup Link.

November 2022

This year, SOCCA is seeking committee volunteers for our communication, education, membership, and research committees—as well as the new clinical practice committee. To view committee descriptions and submit an application, visit https://socca.org/get-involved/.
You may submit an application for a SOCCA Committee between November 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
Learn more & review SOCCA’s Volunteer Selection Criteria.

This election cycle, SOCCA will be electing three members for the Board of Directors (3-year term). Further details about the governance structure of SOCCA are described in SOCCA’s Society Bylaws.
SOCCA members interested in serving in an elected positions on the SOCCA Board of Directors should submit a letter of interest, photograph, and curriculum vitae to Vivian Abalama, IOM, CAE ([email protected]) with subject line “2023 SOCCA Board of Directors Election.”
Review criteria by which Board of Directors and volunteer leaders are evaluated: Volunteer Selection Criteria.
You can apply via email only for a Board of Directors position between November 1, 2022 and December 5, 2022.



SOCCA Innovators Award: applications open 9/30/2022 – 12/31/2022.


October 2022
Gender Equality in Critical Care
Major professional societies & organizations have the obligation to initiate & sustain strategies that support & enhance gender equality in critical care. WICC invites members of SOCCA to participate & discuss ways to advance these goals & values. Understanding & recognizing gender diversity challenges & carrying on the momentum gathered in recent years within SOCCA and outside it, will enable a positive environment for more women to enter & remain within ACCM.


SOCCA has a calendar/list of events. Visit it regularly & save essential dates.




The SOCCA Speakers Bureau has officially launched! As a SOCCA member, you may now:


Have you made any changes in 2022? It’s time to update your SOCCA demographic profile and / or renew your membership. Keep your SOCCA experience seamless & don’t miss out on any updates & member benefits. Visit: buff.ly/3sPMG6j
September 2022


SOCCA would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our female intensivists during this month and year-round. Throughout September, four of our members will be sharing their experiences as a woman in critical care.

Read: Burnout: No Easy Answers in a Post-Pandemic World, by Sarah Alber, MD

Read: Belonging to an Organization: Professional Advancement & Personal Gains, by Nazish Hashmi, MD

Read: Mentors and Mentees: A Powerful Connection, by May Hua, MD, MS

Read: Women in Critical Care: Where We Are & Where We Want to Be, by Shahla Siddiqui, MD, MSc, FCCM
Shahla Siddiqui, MD, MSc, FCCM, and Co-Chair of SOCCA’s Women in Critical Care recently edited a special issue of Journal of Critical Care featuring women as first and senior authors. Read Dr. Siddiqui’s introduction in Volume 71 | October 2022 issue.
August 2022


The SOCCA Early Career Intensivists working group provides new members and members who are early in their careers with the resources needed to ease the transition from trainee to practicing intensivist. Learn more.
July 2022
ASA Monitor
Have you read “SOCCA, the Pandemic, and the Future” by SOCCA’s Miguel Cobas, MD, FCCM, in this month’s ASA Monitor? Visit: https://socca.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Cobas_SOCCA.pdf

As a SOCCA member, you are eligible to receive a discount on an IARS membership. IARS membership benefits include a subscription to Anesthesia & Analgesia, SOCCA’s official journal, A&A Practice e-journal, free journal CME, access to a member community and discounted registration to the IARS Annual Meeting. Click here to view a list of membership options.
Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship Programs
Have you visited SOCCA’s Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship Programs page? If you would like your organization’s program added to our site, let us know here: https://socca.org/new-socca-fellowship-listing/.