Roles of Obstetrician-Gynecologist Hospitalists with Changes in the Obstetrician-Gynecologist Workforce and Practice

• Published in: Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 447 - 456
• Main Authors: Tessmer-Tuck, Jennifer A., MD, Rayburn, William F., MD, MBA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-09-2015
• Subjects: Career Choice; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Female; Gynecology - trends; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Hospitalists; Hospitalists - organization & administration; Hospitalists - trends; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Laborists; Male; OB-GYN hospitalists; Obstetrician-gynecologists; Obstetrics - trends; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Practice Patterns, Physicians; Quality Improvement - standards; Quality of Health Care - standards; Women's Health; Workforce; Workload; Workforce; Hospitalists; Obstetrician-gynecologists; OB-GYN hospitalists; Laborists
• ISSN: 0889-8545; 1558-0474
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ogc.2015.05.004

Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) are the fourth largest group of physicians and the only specialty dedicated solely to women's health care. The specialty is unique in providing 24-hour inpatient coverage, surgical care and ambulatory preventive health care. This article identifies and reviews changes in the OB-GYN workforce, including more female OB-GYNs, an increasing emphasis on work-life balance, more sub-specialization, larger group practices with more employed physicians and, finally, an emphasis on quality and performance improvement. It then describes the evolution of the OB-GYN hospitalist movement to date and the role of OB-GYN hospitalists in the future with regard to these workforce changes.