Guidelines for Regional Anesthesia Training
The Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship Directors Group Abstract: The Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine
Fellowship Directors Group develops and maintains guidelines for fellowship training in the subspecialty. These guidelines update the original guidelines that were published in 2005. The guidelines address 3 major topic areas: organization and resources, the educational program, and the evaluation process. (Reg Anesth Pain Med 2011;36: 282Y288)
PREAMBLE
This is a consensus document developed and maintained by Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine fellowship directors and their colleagues (The Group). The Group was formed in 2002 as an international collaboration of fellowship directors and associate directors (Appendix 1) and others (Appendix 2) interested in advanced regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine training. The Group provides a forum for discussion of issues related to fellowship design, administration, and common concerns. Membership is open to all interested individuals, with each institution granted 1 vote. The Group typically meets twice a year (during the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine spring meeting and during the fall American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting). Members of this group work collaboratively on initiatives to continually improve the fellowship experience.
This document was initially created in 2002, approved by The Group in 2003, and published in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine in 2005.1 The Group agreed that this document would be reviewed every 3 years, being mindful of developments in the practice of regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine. This document was reviewed without change in 2006. In 2009, several changes were approved, including reorganization of the document. The most important changes reflect the progression of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia as a tool for nerve localization, increase the emphasis on knowledge related to complications specific to the subspecialty, and stress the progressive intertwinement of acute pain medicine with perioperative anesthetic procedures. Final approval of this document occurred at The Group's October 2010 meeting.
Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine is not a subspecialty accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). As such, these guidelines for Fellowship Training in Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine represent the consensus of peers. The guidelines are not intended as absolute programmatic requirements, nor should they be construed to define standard of care. As detailed in its mission statement, The Group acknowledges that individual fellowship programs can vary from these guidelines and yet maintain a high level of proficiency and integrity.
MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of this endeavor is to recommend the necessary components of subspecialty fellowship training in Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine. Although an effort has been made to create a comprehensive set of goals and competency-based objectives, these recommendations may not apply to all programs, nor will they be used for any form of accreditation of fellowship programs. Participating fellowship program directors will ensure the ongoing development of regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine as a defined subspecialty. Educational curricula, clinical care, and research activities are emphasized.
