During the preparation of the article by Michael Klein and colleagues,1 the SOGC executive committee and council, in consultation with the CFPC and the SRPC, published a joint policy statement dated April 2002, which declared that competence in obstetrics care is not dependent on the number of births attended annually, but is based on hospital privileges that are determined by quality assurance programs and individual participation in self-directed maintenance-of-competence programs.2
The SOGC is now developing a new quality-assurance program entitled MORE (Managing Obstetrical Risks Efficiently). This program will be delivered simultaneously to obstetricians, family physicians and midwives across Canada and therefore will promote collaborative practice among all health care providers.
André B. Lalonde Executive Vice-President Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada Ottawa, Ont.
References
- 1.Klein MC, Spence A, Kaczorowski K, Kelly A, Grzybowski S. Does delivery volume of family physicians predict maternal and newborn outcomes? CMAJ 2002;166(10):1257-63. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Society of Rural Physicians of Canada. Number of births to maintain competence [policy statement]. Can Fam Physician 2002 Apr;48: 751, 758. [PMC free article] [PubMed]