Integrated mid-wife physician practice. Obstetric darwinism?
The health care delivery system is experiencing rapid changes in structure and form. Economically driven reform efforts emphasize cost-containment that encompasses quality and patient satisfaction. Collaborative or joint nurse-midwife/physician practices have been proposed as one solution ideally suited to meet the contingencies of the new era of health care. Collaborative efforts can range from clinical collaboration to financial and structural integration between midwives and physician partners. The structure of different interdisciplinary models is presented. Future issues faced by one such model, the joint or integrated midwife/physician practice, are discussed.
King
T
T
University of California, San Francisco 94143-0346, USA.
Shah
M A
MA
D005260:Female; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009721:Nurse Midwives; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce