Transparency

Why is it that when you go to your OB's office you can't find out what their cesarean rate is, or how often they do episiotomies? Yet, when you go to a midwife, this information is voluntarily given. In Idaho, there is a new midwifery law. It requires midwives to make their statistics available to their clients. Why can't we make the same requirement of doctors? How is a pregnant woman supposed to decide which doctor to see when she has no information to go on?

What can we do to increase transparency? In Idaho, where there is only transparency for licensed midwifery and no other maternity care providers, we can try to influence legislative efforts. Since midwives in Idaho are required to supply statistics, then it wouldn't be a big reach to enforce doctors to do the same. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. We can also create consumer demand for transparency, and work with the media, hospital administrators, and others to promote change. By maintaining a focus on improving quality and safety rather than penalizing providers or hospitals and birth centers, transparency advocates are likely to gain more acceptance from key stakeholders.