Welcome to the first in a series of articles that will profile key physician specialty types and highlight some related resources.
The goal is to give you a better understanding of your key customers and to help you relate to them in a more sophisticated
fashion.
The MD spotlight series can be used as a reference tool to aid you during business planning, call strategy and physician interaction.
The first subject is the obstetrician/gynecologist, often referred to as an OB/GYN.
Physician profile
This multidisciplinary specialty focuses on the general care of women, as well as the specific care related to pregnancy and
the reproductive tract. The OB/GYN specialty is the only surgical subspecialty that is also considered primary care. The specialty
is divided into two parts:
- Obstetrics – This branch deals with the care and treatment of women during three main time frames: before, during and after
pregnancy.
- Gynecology – This is the branch that deals with medical and surgical diseases of the female reproductive tract, including
infertility.
The specialties are generally practiced together because they are two areas that overlap significantly.
The OB/GYN is a physician specialist who provides general medical and surgical care to women, as it relates to pregnancies
and their reproductive tracts. They provide many different health services to women, ranging from basic gynecologic exams
to complete care of reproductive disorders. The general types of services offered by an OB/GYN are:
- Routine visits including preventive care, immunizations, breast examinations and Pap test screening.
- Prenatal care (during pregnancy), intrapartum care (labor) and postpartum care (after childbirth).
- Applying surgical care due to conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension, preeclampsia, placenta previa or gestational diabetes.
Care of gynecologic problems including infertility, infections, pelvic pain and cancers of the reproductive organs.
- Treatment of other women's health issues, such as symptoms of menopause and urinary tract problems.
Practice characteristics
OB/GYNs see a wide variety of patients, including pregnant women, cancer patients, women facing menopause, women requiring
infertility management and women requiring family planning services. Patients may also present with symptoms of abnormal bleeding,
pelvic pain, problems with sexual function and disorders of the urinary tract.
Here are some more OB/GYN resources
|
OB/GYNs are usually found in private or group practices, institutional clinics and public health agency clinics. Most OB/GYNs
in private practice are part of a single or multi-specialty group practice. Due to the constraints imposed by managed care,
new OB/GYNs generally join established group practices rather than initiating a solo practice. Many OB/GYNs in private practice
maintain teaching positions as members of a clinical facility. According to the AMA, approximately 83% are in private practice,
solo and group combined, while 10% are found in academics.
A practice usually includes a team of professionals that have an important role in patient care. It may consist of:
