Background: Our facility performs over 9,000 deliveries per year with a primary Cesarean birth rate of 35% and is the primary teaching site for a new Ob/Gyn residency program. An innovative curriculum includes a formal course in quality improvement methods for new faculty, and active participation of all residents in a QI project. In an effort to decrease the primary cesarean birth rate, a multidisciplinary QI project was developed.
Methods: The team was led by two community faculty members and included two residents, nursing and hospital administration. Interventions included mandatory completion of a FHR course, provider education on current terminology and recommended interventions, and monthly reporting of cesarean delivery rates. The team used a fishbone analysis of the steps leading to a cesarean section to create a data collection checklist. Charts were reviewed by the residents to confirm the indication for C/S along with other pertinent variables.
Results: The primary cesarean birth rate decreased from 35% in the first quarter of 2015, to 27% in the first quarter of 2016, a 24% decrease. The project team continues to meet quarterly to discuss ongoing activities necessary to maintain and increase the improvement observed in the initial quarter. Residents and faculty report a strong sense of accomplishment as a result of the project, and an interest in continued participation in QI activities.
Discussions: Interdisciplinary partnerships between OBGYN residents, faculty and hospital administration/staff to develop and implement quality improvement projects can improve patient care and provide learners with the knowledge and expertise to engage in quality projects in their future practice.
Keywords: Evidence Based Practice, Faculty Development, Healthcare Systems, Interdisciplinary, Instructional Materials/Methods, Patient Safety/Medical Errors
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2017, Resident, Faculty, Residency Director, Patient Care, Professionalism, GME, CME, Team-Based Learning, Faculty Development,
Liliana Padilla Williams, MD, UTRGV; Roberto Prieto Harris, MD; Zishan Hirani, MD, MS; Carlos Ballesteros, MD; Aida Gonzalez, MSN, RN; Annabelle Hernandez, RN