News & Events

2012 Medicare Reimbursement Rate “Fix” for Physicians Through February but 27% Cut Looms

December 27, 2011, amednews.com

The two month payroll tax cut extension passed by Congress on December 23, 2011, included a two month extension of 2011 Medicare rates for physicians. Physician services provided through February 29, 2012, will be reimbursed at those rates. This short-term fix will expire on March 1, 2012 unless Congress agrees on a long-term solution. If Congress misses the March 1 deadline, a 27.4% cut in Medicare rates for physicians will take effect on that date. Both the House and Senate are not expected to officially return to session again until the week of January 23. Read the full article »

More Evidence on Effectiveness of Comprehensive OB Safety Program

December 8, 2011

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System recently demonstrated the effects of a multistep perinatal safety initiative on obstetric adverse events. During the 3-year study, the obstetrical unit focused on improving in key areas such as communication and teamwork training, conducting simulations, and implementing numerous clinical protocols.

Modified Adverse Outcome Indexes (MAOI) were used to measure improvement. Almost a dozen adverse outcome indicators were used including peripartum hysterectomy, birth trauma, neonatal death, and uterine rupture. The MAOI rate decreased from 1.95% to 0.89%. The study also noted improvements in staff perception of patient safety and patients’ perception of whether the staff worked together. Several process-based measurements improved during the course of the study, as well. Read the release »

OB Consult Launches Nationwide Operations

October 6, 2011

Patient Safety Expert Paul Gluck, M.D. Joins OB Consult

October 5, 2011

Study Reveals Most Physicians Will Be Sued For Malpractice

August 18, 2011, The New England Journal of Medicine

A recent article published by the New England Journal of Medicine states that most physicians will be sued for medical malpractice by the age of 65. Physicians practicing in the five specialties most likely to experience a lawsuit have a 99% chance of being sued. Physicians in the five specialties least likely to experience a lawsuit still have a 75% chance of being sued in their careers. The study also concluded that 74% of obstretricians and gynecologists are sued by the age of 45. The greatest number of awards above $1 million dollars were from claims against obstretricians and gynecologists. Read the full article »

Oregon Hospitals Stop Risky Pre-Term Elective Inductions and C-Sections

August 15, 2011, msnbc.com

A recent study published by March of Dimes shows that the risks of newborn death is cut in half when delivery occurs at full 39 weeks gestation. The study, done in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and the US Food and Drug Administration, showed that the infant mortality rate in 2006 for babies born at 37 weeks gestation was 3.9 per 1,000 births. The mortality rate decreased for babies born at 40 weeks of pregnancy to 1.9 for every 1,000 live births.

The March of Dimes Oregon chapter recently announced that Oregon hospitals will discontinue the practice of allowing elective, non-medically indicated inductions and cesarean section deliveries. Starting September 1, seventeen Oregon hospitals, including all nine birthing centers in Portland, will refuse elective inductions and cesarean sections. The hospitals taking this position currently perform approximately half of the deliveries in the state. More and more states are part of the trend of strictly following the recommendation against elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks from the American Congress of Obstretricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Read the complete article »

Insurance Coverage for Preventative Services

August 1, 2011, White House Council on Women and Girls

The Obama administration has issued new requirements that will give women access to important preventative health services. The law requires health insurance plans to cover all FDA-approved contraceptives for women and other preventative care services without copayments or other fees. The services will also include mammograms, colonoscopies and domestic violence, HIV, gestational diabetes and HPV DNA testing. These requirements are intended to make preventative healthcare services for women more accessible. See the press release »

Clinical Preventative Services for Women: Closing the Gaps

July 19, 2011, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies

Consensus Report sets forth IOM recommendations on women's preventative services including:

• Improved screening for cervical cancer, counseling for sexually transmitted infections, and counseling and screening for HIV
• A fuller range of contraceptive education, counseling, methods, and services to better avoid unwanted pregnancies and to space pregnancies to promote optimal birth outcomes
• Services for pregnant women including screening for gestational diabetes and lactation counseling
• At least one well-woman preventive care visit annually
• Screening and counseling for all women and adolescent girls for interpersonal and domestic violence  See the report »

Excessive Wait Time Leads to Patient Dissatisfaction

July 15, 2011, MedPage Today

It is well-known issue in healthcare – patients are dissatisfied with the amount of time they spend waiting in a doctor’s office. MedPage Today recently asked its readers if they believed patients who had to wait excessively should be given a discount on their medical bills. Almost half of the 3,200 respondents said, "yes."  Another 16% said a discount was not necessary, but that waiting patients should get some small token, such as a gift card, to compensate them for their time. Some patients have taken matters into their own hands and refused to pay their bills or even billed the doctor for their time. Others have chosen to find another doctor or worse, post negative reviews online about their experiences.  

There are strategies practices can implement to improve efficiencies to reduce wait times and also strategies to help minimize patient dissatisfaction when unavoidable wait times occur. OB Consult can help with wait time auditing and patient satisfaction and patient engagement initiatives. Read the complete article »

Study Links Maternal Group B Streptococci With Warmer Environment

July 12, 2011, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstretrics & Gynaecology

Higher heat and humidity levels have been associated with greater risk of maternal group B streptococci (GBS), according to a recent study published by the British Journal of Obstretrics and Gynecology. The researchers gathered data from 8,000 women with full-term delivery in one city hospital from 2001 to 2005 and compared the occurrence rate of colonization of GBS to average daily temperature, relative humidity and heat index. The risk of GBS colonization was approximately 21% higher during the hottest month relative to the coldest month. The risk increased approximately 34% with increased humidity. See the study here »

NQF Releases Updated Serious Reportable Events: Latest Update Includes Four New Events

June 13, 2011, National Quality Forum

The National Quality Forum (NQF) Board approved for endorsement a list of 29 serious reportable events, 25 of which were updated from their earlier endorsement in 2006 and four of which are new events added to the list. Of these new events, one related to neonatal death on low risk pregnancies and one relates to test tracking and appropriate communication of results - both areas are important to obstetrical healthcare professionals. See the release »

CDC Recommends Waiting to Take the Pill

June 8, 2011, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Women should wait at least three weeks after delivery before starting birth control pills due to the risk of blood clots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC notes the importance of contraception in the postpartum period, but also notes the importance of using contraception safely and consistent with CDC recommendations. Women who are at a higher risk of developing blood clots - such as having delivered by Cesarean section, are obese or have a history of blood clots - should wait at least six weeks following delivery to begin using the pill.  The recommendations are part of updates to the 2010 report U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. For more information and detail, view the full text of the recommendations »

A Comprehensive Obstetrics Patient Safety Program Improves Safety Climate and Culture

March 2011 - Posted with permission by the American Journal of Obstetric Gynecology

Effect of a Comprehensive Obstetric Patient Safety Program on Compensation Payments and Sentinel Events

February 2011 - Posted with permission by the American Journal of Obstetric Gynecology

Impact of a Comprehensive Patient Safety Strategy on Obstetric Adverse Events

May 2009 - Posted with permission by the American Journal of Obstetric Gynecology

A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population

January 29, 2009, New England Journal of Medicine