title: Irresponsible and responsible resource management in obstetrics.
abstract: Low budgets constrain and high budgets stimulate choices. In high-income countries, this economic reality may lead to overuse of healthcare services and pose unnecessary risks for mothers and infants. Options for improvement can be created at different levels of healthcare systems. Pregnancy provides an effective opportunity to profile maternal risks and represents a vulnerable but potentially modifiable period from prenatal life to adulthood. In response to system-inherent false incentives, professional responsibility requires obstetricians to strive to improve the future health of families and their offspring despite disincentives for doing so. This chapter addresses professionally responsible resource management in obstetrics and identifies implications for patients, care givers, communities, policy makers, and academic faculties.
authors.affiliation: Center for Mother and Child, University Clinics Marburg - Giessen, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldinger Str. 1, 35034 Marburg, Germany; Clara-Angela Foundation, Center for Research and Development Witten, Alfred Herrhausen Str. 44, 58455 Witten, Germany. Electronic address: bine.clara.angela@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arabin
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006295:Health Resources / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: choosing wisely criteria; ethical resource allocation; maternal-fetal medicine; research and training in obstetrics and gynecology; risks and benefits; shared decision-making