Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America
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Obstet. Gynecol. Clin. North Am. · Sep 2015
ReviewPotential Impact of Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospitalists on Safety of Obstetric Care.
Staffing models are critical aspects of care delivery. Provider staffing on the labor and delivery unit has recently received heightened attention. Based on the general medicine hospitalist model, the obstetrics and gynecology hospitalist or laborist model of obstetric care was introduced more than a decade ago as a plausible model-of-care delivery to improve provider satisfaction, with the goal of also improving safety and outcomes through continuous coverage by providers whose sole focus was on the labor and delivery unit without other competing clinical duties. It is plausible that this model of provider staffing and care delivery will increase safety.
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Sleep deprivation occurs when inadequate sleep leads to decreased performance, inadequate alertness, and deterioration in health. It is incompletely understood why humans need sleep, although some theories include energy conservation, restoration, and information processing. ⋯ Residency programs have enacted strict work restrictions because of medically related errors due to sleep deprivation. Because obstetrics is an unpredictable specialty with long irregular hours, enacting a hospitalist program enhances patient safety, decreases malpractice risk, and improves the physician's quality of life by allowing obstetricians to get sufficient rest.