Provider documentation and elective induction of labor: a 6-month experience at a university medical center.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective study investigated the documentation of clinical history that assured fetal lung maturity, presentation part, and gestational age by 3 provider groups (university obstetricians, family practice, and private obstetricians) before the elective induction of labor.


METHODS
This study was conducted at a large university-based medical center. All labor/delivery admissions (n = 1297) and all elective inductions of labor (n = 268) were reviewed. The variables that were compared included provider group vs delivery percentages, induction rates, and cesarean deliveries.


RESULTS
Nine percent of elective inductions occurred before 39 weeks of gestation; 12.7% of the inductions lacked documentation of the presenting part; 17.6% of the inductions failed to meet any commonly accepted screening criteria that assured fetal lung maturity. Rates of elective inductions varied between 16% and 31% when the 3 groups of providers were compared (P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Adequate documentation is lacking in electively induced patients. A statistically significant relation exists between provider group and clinical behavior as they relate to the elective induction of labor.
Holm
Lloyd D
LD
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3255, USA.lholm@unmc.edu
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies