What's in a name? An evaluation of public perceptions around job role titles within the modern anaesthesia team

The aim of this study was to examine the association made by members of the public between a healthcare professional's title and the function they actually perform within the anaesthesia team. It was also the intention of this research to establish whether the public felt that the title 'anaesthesia practitioner' or 'physicians' assistant (anaesthesia)' was more synonymous with a member of the non-medical team trained to administer anaesthesia. The study population evaluated was 55 members of the public who were randomly selected from the outpatient department at Good Hope Hospital, part of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. Results demonstrated that the titles the general public felt were most synonymous with healthcare professionals who administer anaesthesia were 'consultant anaesthetist' and 'anaesthesia practitioner'. Less than a third of those evaluated felt that an anaesthetic would be given by a 'physicians' assistant (anaesthesia)'.