Background: Patient navigation programs have shown promise for improving health but are not widely used in obstetric care. Our objective was to understand obstetric provider perspectives on how to implement patient navigation to optimize care during the postpartum period for low-income patients. Method: Focus groups were conducted with obstetric…

The importance of collaboration in maternity care in the U.S. is apparent with deficits in both care disparities and quality, despite disproportionate expenditures to improve care. Utilization of experienced, well-trained clinicians, such as obstetric and midwife hospitalists, offers a strategy to improve outcomes, reduce cost, and enhance patient…

Context: Past research has documented rural physician and health care professional shortages. Purpose: Rural hospital chief executive officers' (CEOs') reported shortages of health professionals and perceptions about recruiting and retention are compared in Illinois and Arkansas. Methods: A survey, previously developed and sent to 28 CEOs in…

Whether a middle alternative in the response choices to a questionnaire influences the reliability and validity of survey responses was studied with 1,390 physicians, nurses, and midwives. Including a neutral option had little effect on overall reliability and validity, but allowed better coherence when items were considered globally. (SLD)

This book was intended to serve as a comprehensive resource volume on birth alternatives. Specific topics covered include: (1) the process of labor; (2) ideas of natural childbirth; (3) drugs, devices, surgeries, and procedures; (4) midwives and other delivery room participants; (5) facilities for giving birth: hospital, home and maternity center;…

This document contains a summary of and papers from an international conference convened by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and the International Children's Centre to review training in family planning for physicians, nurses, midwives, and other health staff in countries of the European Region. The Introduction contains a…

A review is given of the status of family planning education at medical, nursing, and midwifery schools in seven European countries. The report is presented in 11 sections. Section one, an introduction, explains the scope of the study and defines family planning to include birth control, pregnancy and delivery, problems of adolescents, family life…

A report on the technical discussions on continuing education of health personnel and its evaluation, held at the 1979 session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Europe is presented. For medical practitioners, a wide range of programs and systems is offered, depending on the social and political organization of the…