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Conference moira::parenting_v3

Title:Parenting
Notice:READ 1.27 BEFORE WRITING
Moderator:CSC32::DUBOIS
Created:Wed May 30 1990
Last Modified:Tue May 27 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1364
Total number of notes:23848

563.0. "Delivery Statistics - "law" to provide??" by CARTUN::MANDALINCI () Thu Dec 13 1990 12:34

    Yesterday I received my "package" from the hospital I will be
    delivering at. Included in the package was a set of statistics about
    percentages of medicated deliveries, forceps, membrane rupture,
    c-section, etc. At the bottom it noted a Massachusetts "regulation"
    number. I know with my first when I asked for statistics from the
    hospital, I was directed to consult my doctor's personal statistics.
    
    Is this now a Mass regulation that they must provide you with hospital
    statistics? It was Emerson hospital and they have a whole birthing
    center so maybe that is the deciding factor whether the statistics must
    be calculatred and provided (versus a hospital with delivery
    facilities). 
    
    Anyone one else get this info from their hospital as a matter of
    course, instead of having to request it?
    
    Andrea (I was impressed with the stats!!)
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563.1I got them alsoASABET::TRUMPOLTLiz - ML05-3/T92 - 223-6321Thu Dec 13 1990 13:4610
    Andrea,  I received the same package from Emerson last year when I was
    going to have my son.  I was also impressed with the stats.  I think it
    is a new thing that they have to do because of the many cases of
    malpractice suits that are being filed, etc.  
    
    I myself think that it is a good idea for the hospitals to send these
    out to their incoming patients.
    
    
    Liz
563.2PHAROS::PATTONThu Dec 13 1990 14:348
    I got this info in '87 from Beth Israel in Boston. It seemed to be
    a routine mailing to anyone in the prenatal classes - don't know if
    it was law or not. I was *not* real happy with the c-section rate,
    even though theirs is not particularly high compared to others. I was
    happy to have such detailed communication, though. 
    
    Lucy
    
563.3NOTIME::SACKSGerald Sacks ZKO2-3/N30 DTN:381-2085Thu Dec 13 1990 15:185
re .2:

Sounds like another case of meaningless statistics.  Doesn't BI handle
a lot of high-risk pregnancies?  That might account for a high rate
of C-sections.  Now if they told you the number of unnecessary C-sections...
563.4Watch out for statsCUPMK::TAKAHASHIThu Dec 13 1990 15:309
    The "meangingless" stats sound like a marketing ploy to me.  After all,
    all of these hospitals are actually in competition for business now.  
    I haven't received my package from Winchester Hospital yet, but I'll
    keep an eye out for it.  Do they mention the ages of the patients, how
    many previously had C-sections, whether they were high risk to start
    with, etc.  You would need to know all this  before you could base
    anything on the figures.
    
    Nancy
563.5No age breakdownCARTUN::MANDALINCIThu Dec 13 1990 16:4513
    With the breakdown that Emerson mailed me, they seem to cover all the
    bases. Ages were not mentioned, probably only because it was  1-page
    and ages breakdown would turn it into a 20-page report.
    
    They did include stats of planned c-sections, unplanned c-sections,
    VBAC's, medicated broken down into spinal, epidural, other,
    unmedicated, internal monitors, external monitors, etc. 
    
    Maybe the Mass "regulation" number on the bottom if in reference to the
    regulation that they must provide the Mass health autorities with this
    info.
    
    Andrea                                     
563.6stats mean what?COOKIE::CHENMadeline S. Chen, D&SG MarketingWed Dec 19 1990 21:439
    I personally don't care that much about hospital stats in this area. 
    The psychological wellbeing of the mother, and her physical care seem
    to be more dependant on the doctor than any other variable.  So *if*
    such statistics were to be meaningful to me, I'd want to see a
    physician by physician breakdown.   I agree that this seems to be a
    marketing ploy - I use it all the time.
    
    
    -m
563.7Measures the wrong thingCIVIC::JANEBSee it happen => Make it happenThu Dec 20 1990 13:097
    Also (sorry if this has already been mentioned), the stats sometimes
    can be VERY misleading: a great hospital with facilities for high-risk
    pregnancies may have numbers that look bad and a hospital that just
    doesn't take those cases (sends them to the other hospital) would look
    much better in the stats.  This tells you nothing about what will
    happen to you, or worse, indicates the opposite of the truth when
    you're looking for which will be safer and better for you.