Interventions to Lower Rates of Adverse Obstetric Events

Promoting patient safety is on the agenda for most U.S. obstetric units. To determine if a comprehensive patient safety strategy — implemented at a large obstetric facility between 2004 and 2006 — reduced the likelihood of adverse perinatal outcomes, researchers analyzed quarterly adverse outcome data, as well as cesarean delivery and episiotomy rates, for 13,622 births.

Safety interventions were based on an independent review by nurse and physician risk-assessment consultants and included developing protocols for practice standards, hiring an obstetric safety nurse, creating an anonymous event-reporting system, establishing 24-hour hospitalist coverage by maternal-fetal medicine specialists, instituting an obstetric patient safety committee…