The Movie Awake: A Unique Opportunity

[Coastie]

We're always talking about the ASA and public awareness.

Internet. TV. Radio. Politically.

Well, we have some tips on the internet front: Wikipedia, and as Noyac said, behaving ourselves in rational debates here. There is still a long way to go.

I was hanging out with an attending and resident in the OR today who were lamenting the new movie, "Awake", coming out. They said that it will "do for anesthesia what jaws did for sharks".

It got me thinking.

Let's say Awake does what it intends to do: Make alot of money by scaring the heck out of people.

There are two ways of looking at this:

1) People despise Anesthesiologists.

2) People are so afraid of Anesthesiology that there is no way in heck they would want solo nurses doing the procedure without a board-certified physician either supervising or doing the case themselves.

The ASA and friends can play this one of two ways. Take it defensively, or perhaps go on the offense.

Those baby boomers are a fickle group, but one thing is for sure: They want the best treatment available, and darnit, they want it now!

Off-base in my thinking? What do you guys think?

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[cfdavid]

I've thought similarly when I heard about it. It could bring awareness to risks in general, in which case the public will demand the optimal provider to mitigate such risks. That's in theory, anyway.

 

[huron]

I was hanging out with an attending and resident in the OR today who were lamenting the new movie, "Awake", coming out. They said that it will "do for anesthesia what jaws did for sharks".

It got me thinking.

Let's say Awake does what it intends to do: Make alot of money by scaring the heck out of people.

There are two ways of looking at this:

1) People despise Anesthesiologists.

2) People are so afraid of Anesthesiology that there is no way in heck they would want solo nurses doing the procedure without a board-certified physician either supervising or doing the case themselves.

The ASA and friends can play this one of two ways. Take it defensively, or perhaps go on the offense.

Those baby boomers are a fickle group, but one thing is for sure: They want the best treatment available, and darnit, they want it now!

Off-base in my thinking? What do you guys think?

Was this movie written by the public relation department of Aspect Medical Systems the maker of the BIS monitor?

This looks like Just another in a long series of alarmist news articles sponsored by Aspect Medical Systems to push the general acceptance of the BIS monitor. It will take the inclusion of the BIS monitor as one of the ASA standard monitor before this self serving charade by Aspect Medical Systems will stop.

 

[Coastie]

Who knows...

But we should look for possible advantages wherever we can get them.

That's what the other side has done.

It's our turn.

Was this movie written by the public relation department of Aspect Medical Systems the maker of the BIS monitor?

This looks like Just another in a long series of alarmist news articles sponsored by Aspect Medical Systems to push the general acceptance of the BIS monitor. It will take the inclusion of the BIS monitor as one of the ASA standard monitor before this self serving charade by Aspect Medical Systems will stop.

 

[Bertelman]

It could be a great opportunity, but there is another factor at play. Will anyone see the movie?

I was working for an organ procurement agency several years ago when the movie John Q was released. Don't remember it? Denzel Washington keeps an ER hostage while negotiating for his son's heart transplant.

Despite being run by dozens of local and regional organizations, the organ industry is tight-knit. Public relations is taken very, very seriously. There was a sincere effort before the release of this movie to inform the public that organs are distributed equitably, etc.

Then no one saw the movie. Brief media attention for a week or so. It was probably replaced in the collective buzz by Mark McGuire's use of steroids or something.

Point is, anesthesiologists should be prepared for a fallout, and certainly should take the opportunity to impress the importance of qualified caregivers. But unless Vin Diesel is starring, Ellen Pompeo sleeps with the anesthesiologist, or extreme carnage ensues, the plot doesn't exactly sound like a blockbuster.

EDIT: Didn't realize it stars Jessica Alba. Maybe if she sleeps with the anesthesiologist...

 

[LostTommyGuns]

Of course this would require the ASA to be proactive and use it as a stepping stone to extend people's understanding at the cost of pissing off the AANA . If history is any indication... my guess is that they won't use it they would they probably could

 

[urgewrx]

Supposedly the ASA helped them with the script. I hope they tossed something bad about CRNA's but I doubt it. I think the best that will come out of that movie is that some people will realize that anesthesiologist are physicians. Who knows if it might even harm us. The anesthesiologist in the movie might even be drug addicted, and thats why the main character that awareness. Not that it has not happened before. One out of ten anesthesiologist is expected to have drug addiction problems. Scary, isn't it. By statistics alone, a couple of the guys posting here are probably addicted.

 

[Coastie]

Jessica Alba >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ellen "the man" Pompeo

It could be a great opportunity, but there is another factor at play. Will anyone see the movie?

I was working for an organ procurement agency several years ago when the movie John Q was released. Don't remember it? Denzel Washington keeps an ER hostage while negotiating for his son's heart transplant.

Despite being run by dozens of local and regional organizations, the organ industry is tight-knit. Public relations is taken very, very seriously. There was a sincere effort before the release of this movie to inform the public that organs are distributed equitably, etc.

Then no one saw the movie. Brief media attention for a week or so. It was probably replaced in the collective buzz by Mark McGuire's use of steroids or something.

Point is, anesthesiologists should be prepared for a fallout, and certainly should take the opportunity to impress the importance of qualified caregivers. But unless Vin Diesel is starring, Ellen Pompeo sleeps with the anesthesiologist, or extreme carnage ensues, the plot doesn't exactly sound like a blockbuster.

EDIT: Didn't realize it stars Jessica Alba. Maybe if she sleeps with the anesthesiologist...

 

[Bertelman]

Jessica Alba >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ellen "the man" Pompeo

seriously! She's like the next iteration of Jennifer Garner.

 

[badgas]

In the movie, there is probably an anesthesiologist who falls asleep in the case after 15 mins of crossword puzzles and eating donuts. Then, things go bad while they are sleeping and a heroic CRNA jumps in to save the day!!! This written completely by the ASA

 

[Stimulate]

In the movie, there is probably an anesthesiologist who falls asleep in the case after 15 mins of crossword puzzles and eating donuts. Then, things go bad while they are sleeping and a heroic CRNA jumps in to save the day!!! This written completely by the ASA

This would not surprise me in the least. I actually think the movie could increase respect for anesthesiology IF the set-up for the awareness is done properly. My guess, however, is that to make it controversial (and thus increase ticket sales) they will set it up like Gray's Anatomy and make the anesthesia provider (MD/DO or CRNA or AA) look like a bumbling idiot, or worse, a drug-addict.
Now if there is awareness despite a competent anesthsia-team, THAT could improve the respect for our specialty and move anesthesia from being an afterthought to a primary concern in the perioperative period.

 

[Conflicted]

yup

I think this movie is bad for everyone. Whomever looks like the idiot its bad for us all and will likely increase lawsuits which will be settled out of court (without admission of guilt) b/c its cheaper fer yer insurance then your rates increase.