A Statewide Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Non-Medically Indicated Scheduled Deliveries.

Objectives To evaluate a large two-phase, statewide quality improvement (QI) collaborative to decrease non-medically indicated (N-MI) deliveries scheduled between 36 and 38 weeks gestation (early). Methods The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) convened a Perinatal Quality Collaborative to devise a two-phase QI initiative using a rapid cycle incremental learning model. Phase 1 included Regional Perinatal Centers (RPCs), and Phase 2 added their affiliated perinatal hospitals.

Applying a science-based method to improve perinatal care: the institute for healthcare improvement perinatal improvement community.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement applies a systems-focused, science-based approach to improving perinatal care. This approach is based on the pioneering work in quality improvement and statistical process control performed by Walter Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming, and it uses the Model for Improvement, a simple and effective tool for accelerating improvement.

Underreimbursement of obstetric and gynecologic invasive services by the resource-based relative value scale.

Objective: To compare the relative value of work and reimbursement by the resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) and the charge-based McGraw-Hill relative value scale for invasive services performed for women only (obstetric-gynecologic), for men only (urology), and in a gender-neutral specialty (general surgery).

Methods: Two hundred nineteen obstetric-gynecologic, 125 urology, and 105 general surgery invasive procedures were compared by the mean for each specialty of 1) the ratio of the procedure-specific work component of the RBRVS unit to the total relative value unit, and 2) the ratio of the procedure-specific total RBRVS unit to the McGraw-Hill relative value unit. All procedures were weighted equally.

Occult intraamniotic infection at the time of midtrimester genetic amniocentesis: a reassessment.

Objective: The objective of this study was to reevaluate the incidence of occult early midtrimester intraamniotic infection in asymptomatic patients at the time of genetic amniocentesis.

Methods: A total of 177 amniotic fluid (AF) specimens from patients referred for genetic amniocentesis between 15 and 20 postmenstrual weeks were evaluated for the presence of bacteria by detailed light microscopy, after Gram and Wright stain, and by cultures for aerobic and anaerobic baceria, Mycoplasma sp., and Ureaplasma urealyticum.