Patient Safety First: A Program for Obstetricians
As your partner in patient safety, we are pleased to announce Patient Safety First—our voluntary new program that is open to all member obstetricians. The program, which is built around the most common types of OB claims, rewards physicians who successfully implement our patient safety steps. Qualifying members who successfully meet the requirements will receive a patient safety premium credit of 10 percent applied to their next policy renewal period.
Eligibility Requirements
Participating obstetricians must meet the following requirements in a 12-month period:
- Complete the Perinatal Bundle of Courses (Advanced Fetal Assessment and Monitoring, Managing Shoulder Dystocia, Operative Vaginal Delivery, and SBAR+R: Structuring Communication in Healthcare) offered online through Advanced Practice Strategies (APS). Access to these courses is available to you through our online member login at www.thedoctors.com.
- Develop written protocol for communication (SBAR+R or similar) between you and the labor and delivery nurses to be utilized in the event that any of the following situations occur:
- Nonreassuring fetal heart rates using the guidelines as outlined in the APS Advanced Fetal Assessment and Monitoring course and any other change in the fetal tracing that you feel is reportable
- Elevated systolic BP of >140 mm Hg or diastolic BP of >90 mm Hg
- Vaginal bleeding
- Meconium
- Suspected abnormal presentation
- Elevated maternal temperature >100.4 or per
hospital protocol - Other criteria occur that you have identified (e.g., rise in fetal heart rate baseline of greater than 10 bpm, more than five variable decelerations in X minutes, etc.)
- Post the communication protocol in L&D, and implement it in coordination with nursing leadership.
How to Get Your Credit
To receive the patient safety premium credit, you must demonstrate that you have met the requirements by:
- successfully completing the four APS online CME courses; and
- sending a copy of the communication protocol to The Doctors Company's Patient Safety Department by e-mail to patientsafety@thedoctors.com or by fax to (707) 226-0162.
One of our patient safety/risk management account executives will then call the OB nursing director to verify that the nurse-physician communication protocol has been implemented and followed consistently.
Sign Up Today
To participate or to learn more about our Patient Safety First program, please call the Department of Patient Safety at (800) 421-2368, extension 1243.
