Anesthesiologists who are not active politically are risking their own futures — and the futures of other anesthesiologists. Advocacy is the only way to secure the future.

Consent and privacy can be tricky issues for anesthesiologists, especially when minors are involved. Parents or guardians must generally give consent for surgeries performed on patients who are teens, and those adults generally expect to be informed about every aspect of the case. However, there are occasions when a teenage patient’s right to privacy trumps the parental right to know.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has approved payment for discussing goals of care with patients. The change was part of the Affordable Care Act, although the implications for anesthesiologists remains unclear. The pros and cons of the new policy will be debated Saturday during “Now That Medicare Pays for Discussions About Goals of Care, Should They Become a Routine Part of Preoperative Consent?”

Understanding hemostasis and coagulation are critical considerations in perioperative patient management. Sunday’s 2016 Journal Symposium “Coagulation 2016: New Drugs and New Data” will look at a variety of factors that are important in managing bleeding.

With the opioid epidemic rising in the U.S., it’s imperative to use a multimodal approach to minimize abuse. Four new e-learning modules address the opioid crisis and demonstrate how to best treat patients for better postoperative outcomes. These modules are free to all ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 annual meeting registrants.

Incorporating a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) into your practice can be challenging, but there has never been a better time than now to receive expert support from thought-leaders within this burgeoning model of care.