Factors associated with the decision of family physicians to provide intrapartum care.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate which characteristics and beliefs of family physicians determine their decision to provide intrapartum care.


METHODS
Confidential survey questionnaire mailed in spring 1993.


METHODS
Alberta and Ontario.


METHODS
Random selection of 207 physicians who had graduated from medical school between 1953 and 1990 and were thought to be in family or general practice. Of 178 eligible physicians, usable replies were received from 104 (58.4%).


METHODS
Beliefs (measured on a 7-point Likert scale) about the relevance of 16 primary factors to the type of obstetric care provided; demographic, training and practice characteristics.


RESULTS
The respondents who provided intrapartum care differed from those who did not in their beliefs about the availability of a local hospital suitable for intrapartum care (p < 0.001), their practice partners' views on the role of family physicians in providing obstetric care (p < 0.002), their own concept of the role of family physicians in providing obstetric care (p < 0.001) and women's views on the type of obstetric care they want (p < 0.002). They also differed, although less significantly, in their beliefs about the adequacy of their obstetric training before entering family practice (p < 0.04), the expected effects of providing obstetric care on their free time (p < 0.006), their fear of malpractice litigation (p < 0.028) and their perceived competence in performing practical obstetric procedures (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that certain secondary factors were particularly relevant to the respondents' provision of intrapartum care at present. These included the physician's perceived competence at managing postpartum maternal hemorrhage (odds ratio [OR] 48.90, 90% confidence interval [CI] 4.70 to 509), the belief that medical insurance premiums should not be affected by the type of obstetric care provided (OR 3.55, 90% CI 1.67 to 7.57]) and the number of practice partners who provided intrapartum care (OR 10.08, 90% CI 2.31 to 44.10).


CONCLUSIONS
Several factors appear to influence family physicians in their decision to provide intrapartum care. This information will help to focus efforts to provide appropriate obstetric training for family practice residents and to retain involvement of family physicians in intrapartum care.
Smith
L F
LF
Institute of General Practice, Postgraduate Medical School, Exeter, England.
Reynolds
J L
JL
D000416:Alberta; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003657:Decision Making; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008318:Malpractice; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education; D009864:Ontario; D010819:Physician's Role; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires