What makes a good anaesthetist? - A Sri Lankan perspective

Abstract

This survey was undertaken to find out the views of anaesthetists and surgeons in Sri Lanka on what they thought were the attributes of a good anaesthetist. 50 anaesthetists and 50 surgeons of different grades at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka were the respondents to the survey. All grades of anaesthetists agreed on three top attributes and they are team work, patient care and up to date knowledge. All grades of surgeons highlighted communication with the surgical team as the most important attribute. The most striking difference between surgeons and the anaesthetists was the high priority surgeons gave to communication.