title: Perspectives on global health amongst obstetrician gynecologists: A national survey.
abstract: Objective To characterize contemporary attitudes toward global health amongst board-certified obstetricians-gynecologists (Ob-Gyns) in the US. Methods A questionnaire was mailed to members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Respondents were stratified by interest and experience in global health and group differences were reported. Results A total of 202 of 400 (50.5%) surveys were completed; and 67.3% ( n = 136) of respondents expressed an interest in global health while 25.2% ( n = 51) had experience providing healthcare abroad. Personal safety was the primary concern of respondents (88 of 185, 47.6%), with 44.5% (57 of 128) identifying 2 weeks as an optimal period of time to spend abroad. The majority (113 of 186, 60.8%) cited hosting of local physicians in the US as the most valuable service to developing a nation's healthcare provision. Conclusion Despite high interest in global health, willingness to spend significant time abroad was limited. Concerns surrounding personal safety dovetailed with the belief that training local physicians in the US provides the most valuable service to international efforts. These attitudes and concerns suggest novel solutions will be required to increase involvement of Ob-Gyns in global women's health.
authors: 1 Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Sarah Rae
authors: SR
authors: Easter
authors: 2 Research Department, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC, USA.|3 Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Greta B
authors: GB
authors: Raglan
authors: 1 Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Sarah E
authors: SE
authors: Little
authors: 2 Research Department, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC, USA.|4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors: Jay
authors: J
authors: Schulkin
authors: 1 Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Julian N
authors: JN
authors: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006176:Gynecology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008493:Medical Missions / Q000458:organization & administration; D008875:Middle Aged; D009774:Obstetrics; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000941:ethics*; D012449:Safety; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Global health; health disparities; international women’s health; maternal health; medical education; ob-gyn