At hospitals around the country, there is a new physician in the maternity and obstetrics department: the laborist. Laborists are OB hospitalists who are staffed for births and gynecological emergencies, and their presence is now felt at about 250 hospitals nationally, according to PBS.
This marks a significant increase from 10 years ago, when just 10 hospitals used laborists. The trend is growing as hospitals are working to increase patient satisfaction and reduce the risk of malpractice, and as physicians look to be hospital-employed or want more work-life balance or relief from emergency patient care, according to the report.
Despite that a stranger may be delivering their babies, women like the comfort of having a physician available when they arrive at the hospital, rather than waiting for an on-call OB/GYN. Plus, according to PBS, waiting for 20 minutes can sometimes be "the difference between a healthy baby and a mom or baby facing severe complications."
Studies show the presence of laborists can reduce C-section rates and some hospitals reported a reduction in elective deliveries before 39 weeks, according to the report.
Physicians are split on the new model of care — some like it, while others feel laborists may break the continuity of care that is expected of an OB/GYN, according to the report.
The laborist model can be costly, too. Officials from Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital said in the report that employing full-time obstetricians cost the hospital $1.5 million each year. However, officials said the increase in patient and physician satisfaction and reduced risk of malpractice make the bill worth it, according to the report.
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