Code of Conduct

By accessing the ASA Community, you agree that you have read and will follow this Code of Conduct and be bound by our Terms of Use.


ASA Community® Code of Conduct

ASA Community is your private online forum for professional collaboration and connection in the field of anesthesiology. Our 56K+ members represent every career stage, subspecialty, and practice setting, making the community an invaluable resource for asking thoughtful questions and gaining quick insights from anesthesiology professionals across the country and throughout the world.

ASA Community is a unique space for member-to-member connection and meaningful interaction. Please help us deliver the best possible experience for all participants by following the guidelines below.


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Bring value to discussion. Be generous with your experience – everyone has something to contribute.

  • Post useful learnings and resources for all members’ benefit and include context around why you’re sharing them with the community.
  • Acknowledge helpful replies by “liking” the posts. Please send personal thank-yous as private messages rather than discussion posts.
  • Do not distract or redirect conversations. If your response brings up a significantly different topic, consider starting a new thread.
  • Try not to dominate discussion. Disproportionate posting on the part of a single member can have a chilling effect on overall conversation and limit the opportunity for sharing a wider variety of perspectives and experiences.
  • Take advantage of our community's capacity for in-depth discussion. If you're simply sharing a link, consider posting to social media instead.


Engage in a professional and collegial manner. Do your part to create a shared online space that feels relaxed, comfortable, and personable.

  • Beginning posts with a simple “hello” can go a long way toward putting everyone in a helpful frame of mind.
  • Extend a helping hand to those who are engaging with the community for the first time, or who may be new to anesthesiology.
  • Be welcoming and inclusive. We are a diverse community of professionals with different backgrounds, identities, and beliefs. Please treat each other with respect and kindness.
  • Avoid typing in ALL CAPS, as it is considered shouting. (We recommend italics for emphasis.)


Disagree, but do so with respect. All views are welcome when offered in the context of constructive discussion.

  • Challenge an idea through thoughtful debate – not to injure, defame, or criticize others.
  • Assume best intent. Understand that tone of voice can be difficult to convey in a digital environment, and that sarcasm and joking may be misinterpreted.
  • Be a partisan for the patient. Avoid using overly politicized or polarizing language that may detract from collaborative discussion and problem-solving.
  • Name-calling, bullying, or deliberate attempts to offend or provoke others will not be tolerated.


Keep the conversation going. Avoid sharing “bulletin-board” notices that do not generate meaningful public discussion or posting messages that invite members to take the conversation offline.

  • Do not solicit academic research subjects, conduct market research, or recruit survey respondents via the community.
  • Do not post in seek of opportunities for individual research or personal mentorship.
  • Do not post job opportunities or offers to fill open positions. For anesthesiology job listings, or recruitment opportunities, visit ASA’s Anesthesiology Career Center.


Help us maintain a "promotion-free" zone. Let idea-sharing be informational rather than promotional in nature.

  • While links to business websites, product offerings, or personal blogs are acceptable on member profile pages, please do not include them in posts or discussion signatures.
  • Share about upcoming events or programs in a conversational way, within a context that adds value to ongoing discussion.


Choose the most effective channel for your message. Make best use of the community as a member-to-member forum for information-sharing.

  • ASA Community discussion is unconnected to any decision-making body. For questions regarding organizational policy, we recommend providing your feedback directly to the policymakers.
    • Do not use the community to solicit or provide feedback on ASA governance policies or procedures, or to "rally the troops" to effect organizational change. Please direct your comments to ASA leadership and/or your state ASA board director by contacting Member Services, which will route your message as needed. (Find information and resources on the governance process here.)
    • Feedback on ASA Monitor® and ASA Monitor Today content or editorial policy decisions should be directed to the ASA Monitor. Article feedback can be submitted as a comment on the ASA Monitor website or submitted as a Letter to the Editor.
    • Feedback on Anesthesiology® content or editorial policy decisions should be submitted directly to the journal feedback page or as a Letter to the Editor. See the journal’s Instructions for Authors for more information.
  • Do not use the forum to air personal grievances or handle general disputes. Direct customer service issues or questions to Member Services.
  • For questions or comments about ASA Community moderation, please Contact Us.


Be yourself. Transparency is vital to establishing trust in the value of online discussion.

  • Do not misrepresent yourself or your affiliation with any person or entity.
  • When engaging in discussion anonymously, try to provide conversational context for multiple posts to the same thread. For example, if you are the original poster, identify yourself as such when responding to any replies.
  • Include financial disclosures or conflicts of interest in your posts when appropriate.


Use caution when discussing others’ products, services, or individuals. Information posted on the discussion boards and in the libraries is available to all members. Unduly disparaging comments about a product, service, or an individual may be subject to libel and slander laws.


Follow FTC guidelines. Do not discuss pricing, profit margins, wage information, boycotts or other information of a competitive nature that could run afoul of federal or state antitrust laws. For more information, please refer to the section on Antitrust Law at FTC.org: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws


Respect intellectual property. Post content that you have personally created or have permission to use and have properly attributed to the content creator. It’s also advisable to contact the owner of any material if you would like to reuse it.


Maintain the privacy and security of our discussion forum. "Our members-only community" is exactly that. Do not share discussion posts externally with those who do not have access to this ASA member benefit. Use of data mining, robots, or other similar data gathering and extraction tools is strictly prohibited.


Report misuse. Please Contact Us to report any questionable content or use the Mark As Inappropriate feature to flag the post for administrative review.


And needless to say… All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, inflammatory, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Do not post anything that you would not want anyone to know came from you.


ASA reserves the right to modify or remove content and suspend or terminate participation for members who violate these guidelines. (For details on the process, please refer to our Violation policy below.)

Terms of Use

By joining a Community, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (Terms) and the Code of Conduct, which is incorporated into and is part of these Terms. These Terms may be revised from time to time and it is the user’s responsibility to stay informed of any changes. Use of the Community constitutes the user’s continuing agreement to be bound by these Terms, as amended.

This site is provided as a service for the members of The American Society of Anesthesiologists, Inc. (ASA) for educational and informational purposes only. ASA is not undertaking to render advice and ASA is not responsible for the opinions or other information posted on this site by others. Community users must rely solely on their own judgment with respect to all issues discussed. ASA does not approve or endorse any specific practices that may be mentioned on the Community and responses are not intended as practice guidelines unless stated otherwise by ASA. ASA makes no warranties, guaranties or representations as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information posted on the Community or the experience or qualifications of Community users.

The Community is intended to encourage discussion among members within the online forum. In order to encourage open discourse, content from the Community may not be shared externally without the written permission of ASA.

The Community is not intended to serve as an exchange of any information that would be regulated by the federal Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996 and its implementing regulations (HIPAA) or any state privacy laws. Do not post any protected health information to the Community.

By posting content, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants ASA the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, create derivative works and otherwise use such information or other material. 

Users are responsible for conducting their Community-related activities in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Without limiting the foregoing, users should not make posts that:

  • Contain defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials or otherwise include personal attacks on others;
  • Include any discussion or action that may be construed as an attempt to: raise, lower, or stabilize prices or fees; allocate markets, territories, or patients; prevent any person or business entity from gaining access to any market or to any member or patient; boycott any person or business; foster unfair trade practices; assist in monopolization; or attempts to monopolize; or otherwise violate applicable federal or state antitrust laws and trade regulations.
  • May be considered an unauthorized solicitation, including advertisements or promotions for any products or services;
  • Contain personal or private details about another person that could infringe upon their rights, including a patient’s protected health information;
  • Impersonate someone else; or
  • Breach any intellectual property laws.

ASA does not prescreen or verify the content posted by users of the Community. However, ASA reserves the right (but not the obligation) to monitor any and all information related to the Community and take actions that it deems necessary to enforce these Terms, as is more fully described in the Violation Policy.

Content posted to the Community may contain links to third-party websites or refer to third-party products. ASA does not have control over such websites or products and accessing such sites is at the user’s own risk.

EACH USER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE COMMUNITY IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS, WITH ALL FAULTS” BASIS. ASA AND ITS LICENSORS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, ORAL, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, ANY WARRANTIES ARISING BY VIRTUE OF CUSTOM OF TRADE OR COURSE OF DEALING, AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR NONINFRINGEMENT, EXCEPT WHERE PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW. NEITHER ASA NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES SHALL BE LIABLE TO A USER OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, LAIBILITY, COST OR EXPENSE SUFFERED OR INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF OR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY OR ITS CONTENT NOR FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE COMMUNITY FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER, EVEN IF ASA OR ITS AFFILIATES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN THIS LIABILITY SECTION SHALL SURVIVE ANY TERMINATION OF THESE TERMS OR ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY.

EACH USER AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND AND HOLD HARMLESS ASA AND ITS AFFILIATES (INCLUDING THEIR OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS AND CONTRACTORS) FOR AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS BROUGHT BY PERSONS OR ENTITIES OTHER THAN THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO EACH USER’S ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.

In addition, by accessing the Community, each user (each a Releasor) agrees to assume all risks and responsibilities in any way arising from or associated with the Community and releases ASA, its affiliates, members, committees, board, officers, legal representatives, employees, agents, and contractors (collectively Releasees) from any and all claims, demands, suits, judgments, damages, actions and liabilities of every name, whenever occurring, whether known or unknown, contingent or fixed, at law or inequity, that a user may suffer at any time arising from or in connection with the Community, including any harm to others (collectively Liabilities), and agree to defend, indemnify and hold Releasees harmless from and against any and all Liabilities. Each Releasor understands that he/she is giving up, among other things, all rights to sue Releasees for injuries, damages or losses incurred. Releasor also understands that this binds Releasor’s heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives and assigns.

These Terms shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Illinois, exclusive of its choice of law or conflict of law provisions. In addition, users consent to be subject to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state courts located in Cook County, Illinois or the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, whichever has jurisdiction, and waive any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such court in the event of a dispute between the parties.

Privacy Policy

Any personal information users provide to ASA, including name, address, telephone number and e-mail address will not be released, sold, or rented to any entities or individuals outside of our organization except as noted below or as otherwise stated in ASA’s website Privacy Policy.

With Whom Do We Share the Personal Information We Collect Through This Site:

Our Service Providers
We may share personal information with companies (including our affiliates) that perform services on our behalf, for example, companies that help process credit card payments. Our service providers are required by contract to protect the confidentiality of the personal information we share with them and to use it only to provide specific services on our behalf.

Business Transfers
Personal information may be transferred to another entity (either an affiliated entity or an unrelated third party) in connection with a merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar corporate event. If such a transfer were ever to occur, the acquiring entity’s use of a user’s personal information will still be subject to this Privacy Policy.

Government and Legal Disclosures
We may disclose the personal information we collect through the Community, when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or a court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce our Terms of Use or other agreements that govern each user’s use of the Community; or to protect the rights, property or safety of our company, our users, or others.

External Sites
We are not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Each user is advised to read the privacy policy of external sites before disclosing any personal information.

Cookies
We and other service providers may use cookies and other technologies to improve your experience on our website and other websites. A cookie is a small piece of information which is sent to a user’s browser and stays on the user’s computer or mobile device when our site is visited. Cookies allow us to remember users when they visit the Community and serve as advertising about ASA or other relevant products and services on or after users have left our site. Users can delete cookies by “clearing” their browser’s cache. Users can also set their browser to block or alert them about cookies using their device’s settings or opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies by using the Network Advertising Initiative opt out page. If a user opts out of the use of cookies, features or functionality may be limited on certain sites.

Remember The Risks Whenever You Use The Internet
While we do our best to protect personal information collected through the Community, we cannot guarantee the security of any information that is transmitted to us and each user is solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of any passwords or other account information. In addition, other Internet sites or services that may be accessible through our site have separate data and privacy practices independent of us, and therefore we disclaim any responsibility or liability for their policies or actions. Please contact those vendors and others directly with any questions regarding their privacy policies.  For any other information, please contact us using the Contact Us page.

Violation Policy

ASA has the sole discretion to enforce its Terms of Use. ASA, in its sole discretion and without notice, may review, modify or remove any content that ASA deems inappropriate or otherwise violates its Terms of Use, and/or suspend or terminate participation in any and all groups by, any member who violates the Terms of Use. Anonymous posts are subject to administrative review and may be modified to align with the Terms of Use prior to approval.

Taking action against one of our members, particularly in regard to suspending an account, is something we would like to avoid, but it may be necessary in order to protect the quality of service we strive to provide to all members. This restriction is not intended to limit the professional networking and collaborative discussion on the ASA Online Community, but rather to enrich it. When unsure whether a particular action is consistent with ASA’s Terms of Use, please err on the side of caution. If you have any questions, please contact your Community Manager.


Possible disciplinary actions for policy violations:

The following describes ASA’s general process for handling violations of its Terms of Use; however, ASA reserves the right to abridge, reorder, or amend this process if deemed necessary in individual cases.

  • Content may be modified or removed.
  • Communication (verbal and/or written) with the member regarding the violation by ASA staff.
  • Moderation of a member’s account for 30-days or longer, which requires review and approval of new posts by the Community Manager before the content is viewable by others on the site.
  • Temporary or permanent suspension of a member’s account.


Appeal Process 


A member may appeal a temporary or permanent suspension of their account. If a member wishes to appeal, they must contact the Community Manager via email.

Appeals should include the following information:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Full disclosure of any previous violations
  • Why you feel the community removal should be overturned, include any relevant or supporting evidence