Physician practice behavior and litigation risk: evidence and opportunity.

Malpractice risk bedevils obstetricians. Suits can be a nuisance or emotionally and financially devastating. In this chapter, we ask simple questions and provide empiric data to demonstrate that interpersonal factors trigger suits.

The content of prenatal care. Update 2005.

Introduction: The Content of Prenatal Care report of the US Preventative Health Service (USPHS) Expert Panel established an important benchmark when published in 1989, but has not been significantly updated since that time.

Methods: The literature since 1989 is reviewed to assess which recommendations have been validated and/or implemented. Additionally, new findings that support the recommendations put forth or expand the scope of prenatal care outlined in the 1989 report are examined and discussed.

Cause and effect analysis of closed claims in obstetrics and gynecology.

Background: Identifying the etiologies of real or perceived adverse clinical events and undesired outcomes is an important step in improving patient safety and reducing malpractice risks. Systematic analysis of obstetrics and gynecology-related risk management files allows a more complete examination of ways that human and systems factors may contribute to adverse events.

Objective: To learn the medical complaints of patients who experienced apparent adverse events, the general causes of those adverse events, and the significant specific causal factors involved in obstetrics and gynecology-related risk management cases.