The First National Summit on Women's Health: The Future of Obstetrics and Gynecology Training.

Objective: To identify the current challenges in obstetrics and gynecology residency education and propose solutions to overcome these obstacles.

Methods: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) hosted the first National Summit on Women's Health on May 31 and June 1, 2017, with a follow-up meeting December 20-21, 2017, at ACOG headquarters in Washington, DC. Invitees from 20 related societies briefly presented their organizations' perspectives and discussed focused questions about specific challenges, proposed solutions, and anticipated obstacles.

New Models of Care.

The practice of obstetrics and gynecology continues to evolve. Changes in the obstetrician-gynecologists workforce, reimbursement, governmental regulations, and technology all drive new models of care. The advent of the obstetric hospitalist is one new model, and the development of team-based care is another.

Firearm-related injury and death in the United States: a call to action from 8 health professional organizations and the American Bar Association.

Deaths and injuries related to firearms constitute a major public health problem in the United States. In response to firearm violence and other firearm-related injuries and deaths, an interdisciplinary, interprofessional group of leaders of 8 national health professional organizations and the American Bar Association, representing the official policy positions of their organizations, advocate a series of measures aimed at reducing the health and public health consequences of firearms. The specific recommendations include universal background checks of gun purchasers, elimination of physician "gag laws," restricting the manufacture and sale of military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use, and research to support strategies for reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths.

Obstetrician/gynecologist care considerations: practice changes in disease management with an aging patient population.

Demographic changes across the country are leading to an increased proportion of older Americans. This shift will likely lead to changes in the patient population seen by obstetrician/gynecologists, and practices may need to adapt to the needs of older women. This article looks at mental health, sexual health, bone loss, cardiovascular disease and cancer as areas in which obstetrician/gynecologists may experience changes with the increasing age of patients.

Obstetrics and gynecology practices and patient insurance type.

Background: Despite research on health disparities based on insurance status, little is known about the differences in practice patterns among physicians who cater to privately and non-privately insured patients. The aim of this study was to assess how obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) who primarily see patients with private insurance differ from those who see mainly uninsured or publicly insured patients. This could be informative of the needs of these two groups of physicians and patients.

Women's healthcare providers' range of services and collaborative care.

Physician shortages and healthcare reform are important topics in the healthcare field today. The utilization of the skills and professional competencies of nonphysician healthcare providers, as well as collaboration between physicians and nonphysician healthcare providers may in part provide a solution to some current healthcare concerns. The purposes of this study were to describe the range of services provided by nonphysician women's healthcare providers (WHCPs), and to begin to explore the collaborative relationship between obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) and WHCPs.

Building a better safety net: taking the safety agenda to office-based women's health.

The recent focus on health care safety is a response to the central ethical tenet of medicine--to do no harm. The delivery of safe hospital care has led to demonstrable reductions in medical errors, adverse events, and patient injuries. These improvements have led to a commensurate reduction of legal risk and the emotional toll on caregivers as well as families.

The evolution of cervical screening and the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology.

The American Cancer Society, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists have released revised consensus recommendations for cervical cancer screening. These new recommendations integrate molecular testing and include significant changes in screening, particularly in women from 30 to 65 years of age without complications who now may be screened every 5 years by co-testing with cervical cytology and high-risk human papillomavirus testing and women 21-29 years who may be screened with cervical cytology alone every 3 years. The revised recommendations include clarification on when to start and stop screening and management of women who have undergone hysterectomy.

Academic workforce trends in community hospitals.

Introduction: Obstetrician-gynecologist faculty workforce studies have been limited to faculty at university training programs. Not much is known about the obstetrician-gynecologist faculty workforce at community programs.

Method: This study assessed the obstetrician-gynecologist faculty workforce in community training programs via administering surveys to the department chairs.

Ethical concerns and career satisfaction in obstetrics and gynecology: a review of recent findings from the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network.

Unlabelled: Obstetricians-gynecologists (ob-gyns) are frequently confronted with situations that have ethical implications (e.g., whether to accept gifts or samples from drug companies or disclosing medical errors to patients).

Well-woman care among obstetrician-gynecologists: opportunity for preconception care.

Objective: To describe the practices of obstetrician-gynecologists who provide routine gynecological care and assess the relative importance of well-woman care to their training and practices.

Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 1000 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, of whom 600 participated in the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network.

Results: The response rate was 57%.

Obstetrician-gynecologists and women's mental health: findings of the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network 2005-2009.

Background: Many mental illnesses are more prevalent in women than men (e.g., depression).

Obstetrician-gynecologists' approach to well-woman care.

Objective: To estimate obstetrician-gynecologists' attitudes and management practices regarding well-woman care.

Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 1,000 members of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 600 of whom participate in the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network.

Results: The response rate was 57%.

Executive summary of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Presidential Task Force on Patient Safety in the Office Setting: reinvigorating safety in office-based gynecologic surgery.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Presidential Task Force on Patient Safety in the Office Setting was convened to identify patient safety concerns, develop tools, and provide guidance for physicians performing invasive surgical procedures in the office setting. Physicians who serve as office medical directors have a myriad of responsibilities related to clinical and patient safety, including evaluating staff competency, encouraging office team communication, promoting patient partnership, and ensuring safety in the use of analgesia or anesthesia. Activities and tools used in the inpatient setting, such as multidisciplinary team meetings, checklists, time-outs, mock emergency drills, and measurement and reporting systems, can easily be tailored and applied to any office practice.

Surgeon General's Conference on the Prevention of Preterm Birth.

To address the serious and seemingly intractable problem of preterm birth, the Surgeon General's Conference on the Prevention of Preterm Birth convened many of the country's experts from the public and private sectors of research, public health, and health care delivery to discuss preventive strategies. The purpose of the conference was to increase awareness of preterm birth in the United States, review key findings and reports issued by experts in the field, and establish an agenda for activities in both the public and private sectors to mitigate the problem. The six work groups created focused on biomedical research, epidemiological research, psychosocial and behavioral factors in preterm birth, professional education and training, outreach and communication, and quality of care and health services.

Rising cesarean delivery rates: the impact of cesarean delivery on maternal request.

Primary and repeat cesarean delivery rates have reached their highest levels both nationally and internationally, with 30.3% of live births in the United States being cesarean deliveries. Some cite the increase in cesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) as a contributing factor, although data have yet to confirm this.