Obstetrics

​​Obstetrics (OB) services are consistently ranked among the highest-risk medical specialty areas. As jury awards and medical malpractice premiums skyrocket, obstetricians in many parts of the country have abandoned their practices and some hospitals have closed their OB units. Meanwhile, some hospitals have expanded their OB services and are confronting access-to-care, quality, and patient safety issues.

The Joint Commission requires hospitals to conduct proactive risk assessments; this Self‑Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) can help focus on processes in the OB arena. The SAQ may also be used for comparing the hospital’s performance and improvement over time...