title: What we have learned about quality measures for intrapartum obstetrical care.
abstract: One of the most important purposes of measuring the quality of care is to improve the quality of care. Without measurement, it is not possible to determine whether changes in medical care delivery are helping patients. This article reviews important concepts in the measurement of quality obstetrical care, and demonstrates how these concepts have been informed by the Assessment of Perinatal Excellence (APEX) study performed by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: jbailit@metrohealth.org.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bailit
authors.affiliation: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Grobman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D054582:National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.); D009774:Obstetrics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D036801:Parturition; D011247:Pregnancy; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States
keywords: Quality of care; measurement; obstetrics; quality improvement