title: Family medicine obstetrics. Collaborative interdisciplinary program for a declining resource.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A continuing decline in the number of family physicians in Canada providing obstetric, and particularly intrapartum, care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The Maternity Centre of Hamilton in Ontario was a pilot project initiated to help family physicians provide full obstetric care through a collaborative interdisciplinary model and shared call.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven family physicians provided care in collaboration with a nurse practitioner and other health professionals. Women came from the Maternity Centre's own practices, community physicians, or agencies, or through self-referral. More than a quarter of the women were considered psychosocially high-risk patients. Key features of the program included interdisciplinary collaboration and information technology that supported prenatal and birth documentation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The program has helped family physicians, and even recruited some, to practise full obstetric care and has provided high-quality, accessible services to pregnant women. Physicians experienced increased jab and personal satisfaction, and patients were highly satisfied with the service.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. priced@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zazulak
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009864:Ontario; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000078329:Workforce
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