Additionally, the multicenter study defined a laborist hospital as one where there was an obstetrician present 24/7. By that definition, the Marin General Hospital, where the single-center study was conducted, would have been considered a laborist hospital both before and after the intervention, she said.
Dr. Gregory also pointed out that all of the patients in the single-hospital study were exposed to the same “culture,” whereas patients in the multicenter study were subject to varying approaches and cultures.
The findings of both studies are of value for identifying the best approach to improving outcomes, Dr. Rosenstein said.
“Studies at the hospital level and at the population level are both important to determine the most optimal labor and delivery staffing pattern,” she said.
The single-center study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Prima Medical Foundation. The multicenter study was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the March of Dimes. The researchers reported having no relevant financial disclosures.