ACOG Practice Guidelines: Enhancing Obstetric and Gynecologic Care

1. Clinical Guideline Development American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Rebekah E. Gee MD MPH FACOG

2. Practice Activities Overview • Clinical practice guideline development • Patient safety and care quality improvement • Collaboration with other organizations • Research ACOG Practice Activities Division

3. Obstetric Practice Gynecologic Practice Practice Bulletins/ Obstetrics Practice Bulletins/ Gynecology Ethics Genetics Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Practice Activities Committees ACOG Practice Activities Division

4. Committee Opinions Practice Bulletins Technology Assessments Guidelines for Perinatal Care Guidelines for Women’s Health Care Practice Activities Documents ACOG Practice Activities Division

5. Committee Overview • Approximately 10-12 Fellows • 3 year appointments • May include liaisons from related organizations • Committee meetings held twice per year at ACOG in addition to periodic conference calls ACOG Practice Activities Division

6. Committee Opinions and Technology Assessments • Committee Opinions represent an ACOG committee's assessment of urgent or emerging issues in obstetric and gynecologic practice. • Approximately 15 Committee Opinions published per year and 2 withdrawn • Technology Assessments reflect emerging clinical and scientific advances. • Approximately 1 Technology Assessment published per year ACOG Practice Activities Division

7. Practice Bulletins • Practice Bulletins present current recommendations on techniques and clinical management issues • Created by the Committees on Practice Bulletins • Evidence-based documents informed by comprehensive literature search • Question and answer format • Each year approximately 10 Practice Bulletins are published and 80 Practice Bulletins are currently in circulation ACOG Practice Activities Division

8. Document Development Process Topic Selection, Outline Development, Literature Review Manuscript Development by Author Review By: Committee Clinical Document Review Panel* Executive Board Publication Periodic Document Review (e.g. 18 months) *Ethics documents do not go to the Clinical Document Review Panel ACOG Practice Activities Division

9. Guidelines for Perinatal Care • A reference for all personnel involved in the care of pregnant women, their fetuses, and their neonates • Collaboration with Committee on OB Practice, American Academy of Pediatrics and March of Dimes • Developed using the most current scientific information, professional opinions, and clinical practices • Current edition contains updates on HIV, breastfeeding, obesity, and hyperbilirubinemia ACOG Practice Activities Division

10. Guidelines for Women’s Health Care • Synopsis of policy and management issues relating to the health care of women • Extensive resource listing for both patients and health professionals • Includes information about well-woman care and gynecologic disorders • Both guidelines books undergo a 4 year revision and review process and are published approximately every 5 years ACOG Practice Activities Division

11. Voluntary Review of Quality of Care (VRQC) • Provides peer consultations to departments of obstetrics and gynecology, assesses the quality of care provided, and suggests possible alternative actions for improvement. • Site visits conducted by three board-certified, practicing obstetrician-gynecologists, a registered nurse reviewer, and a medical writer/team administrator. The review team evaluates the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital and presents their findings and recommendations based on ACOG's guidelines. ACOG Practice Activities Division

12. Thank you! Questions? ACOG Practice Activities Division