Presented By: Paul Preston, M.D.
October 2011

Labor and delivery should be the most rewarding place to work in health care. The opportunity to support a joyful and life changing journey is unequalled. However, there are unique and often under appreciated hazards of care in obstetrics. Poor data, sometimes chaotic working conditions and less than perfect communications can conspire to create significant errors in management. Adding to this is a list of skills, both individual and team based, that are rarely performed but must be quickly and expertly executed. Simulation based training has been shown to address a number of these issues, with measurable improvements in patient outcome and staff satisfaction. Data and techniques for simulation training, as well as the role this has in overall safety initiatives, is the focus of this presentation.

Objectives:

• Analyze the particular factors that lead to risk and harm in obstetrics
• Consider the driving culture and data in your own organization in this area
• Analyze tools that improve obstetric safety, with a particular focus on simulation