If an ob purposely ignores a woman in obvious need of a emergency c/s woman simply because he/she is worried about the hospital statistics, I reckon he/she deserves to be sued for malpractice. Because at that point, when a woman actually needs a c/s, is when he's supposed to be doing his job, and not performing unnecessary c/s on women who didn't actually want them, but was coerced into one.
To me, if this makes a Dr think twice about pressuring a woman to have a c/s when there is every possibility that she wouldn't need one at all, I think that's a hell of a positive outcome. If obs go back to peforming c/s on women who need them to save her or her baby, I think that's another positive outcome.
I loved birthing in a birth centre. If, by some miracle, I ever fell pg again, I'd be booking myself into one so fast your head would spin. But if I couldn't get into one, I would choose a hospital birth over a homebirth. I don't want to birth at home, I don't want to have my teenagers in the next room watching tv, or wanting to have their friends over (this actually happened while I was in labour).
So I would want to attend a hospital that had low intevention rates, because I would want a vb. So would it be helpful to me if I could then find out which hospitals had low intervention rate? I think so.
Last edited by sushee; November 21st, 2008 at 10:24 PM.
. I would love rates to be published too, but I don't think it will affect anything. Rates in the UK are published (as has already been mentioned) and it doesn't stop scalpel-happy surgeons. But I know a hospital is paid more for a section than for a happy woman here. In Australia, they get more money from more women, yes? So the management will do all they can to attract women - which may include stupid limitations on C-sections. I'd give birth at the end of the month in that type of hospital!
I don't see why anyone who wants to know about the quality of care should be denied a hospital statistic. You can ask for infection rates, for morbidity statistics, for how long you have to wait for an appointment, for how much it will cost... why not how many operations are performed on what percentage of patients with a condition (such as pregnancy... yes, now a medical condition as defined by a hospital!).
ETA - just looked at my own records on the computer. I saw my computer maty notes, from which stats will be pulled. Apparently I had a live birth. And no drugs administered whatsoever. Quite interesting reading. So someone doesn't put the details on the computer and bam, your targets are met. And I was only in under a midwife, no Obs. Best check these are my records and they've not confused me with... an imaginary patient because no bugger is allowed to not have drugs in here.
Last edited by Ca Plane Pour Moi; November 21st, 2008 at 10:47 PM.
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yes, now a medical condition as defined by a hospital!).
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