An Analysis of the Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex Cesarean Birth Rate Among Practice Groups in a High-Volume Community Teaching Hospital

Abstract

PURPOSE: Data regarding factors that influence the nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) cesarean birth rate is limited. This study's purpose was to compare the NTSV cesarean rate across practice groups at Virginia Hospital Center (VHC). BACKGROUND: VHC is a high-volume community teaching hospital in Arlington, Virginia. Labor and Delivery is managed by different practice groups: hospitalists with resident coverage, hospitalists without resident coverage, and private attendings. Hospitalists are attending physicians who provide 24-hour in-house management of laboring patients, whereas private attendings are only expected to be in-house for patients in active labor. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all NTSV pregnant women who delivered at VHC from 2014 to 2016. Chi-square tests were used to determine whether NTSV cesarean rates were significantly different over time and across different practice groups. RESULTS: There were 2,339, 2,090, and 1,673 NTSV pregnancies in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. The NTSV cesarean rate decreased significantly by 30.8% (31.8% in 2014, 27.7% in 2015, and 22.0% in 2016, 0.01). The NTSV cesarean rate was significantly lower with hospitalists, with the lowest rate in the hospitalists with resident coverage (NTSV rate of 19.8% for hospitalists plus residents, 25.7% for hospitalists without residents, 30.3% for private attendings, 0.01). All groups decreased their NTSV cesarean birth rate over time, with significant decreases in the hospitalists without residents and private attending groups (0.01). DISCUSSION: Having 24-hour in-house attending coverage is associated with lower NTSV cesarean rates. Resident involvement may also be a factor in lowering this rate.