2010 WA Hospital Cesarean Rates
It's that time of year again. The Department of Health has released their statistics for the entire year of 2010. In the Community Hospital Discharge Data, each hospital reports the number of discharges they had for each type of service that was provided (Diagnosis Related Group). By combining this data we are able to see each hospital's cesarean rate.
There were some big changes in 2010. Some hospitals moved significantly up or down. We hope this information is useful for you in selecting a hospital that will best serve your needs.
As a reminder the national cesarean rate for 2009 was 32.9% (most recent year available).
What is Your Prenatal Care Provider's Rate?
Having a general cesarean rate for your birth place can be helpful but cesarean rates among different care providers within a single hospital can vary wildly! Here are some questions you can ask your care provider to gauge their own rate.
Questions to Ask Your Care Provider - OB/GYN
- “I’m trying to get a feel for what a typical birth at my hospital is like. Can you tell me: about how many births did you attend in the past seven days?”
- “Approximately how many of those women received pitocin to start or speed up labor?”
- “Of all the births you attended in those seven days, how many were via cesarean?”
- “What would you say is the most common reason for induction in your practice?”
- “What are your feelings about alternative medicine and complimentary care during pregnancy and birth?”
Questions to Ask Your Care Provider - Hospital Midwife
- “I’m trying to get a feel for what a typical birth at my hospital is like. Can you tell me: about how many births did you attend in the past seven days?”
- “How many of those women received pitocin to start or speed up labor?”
- “Of all the births you attended in those seven days, how many were via cesarean?”
- “What would you say is the most common reason for induction in your practice?”
- “How are your labor management protocols different from the obstetricians in your hospital? How are they the same?”
- “What types of situations cause you to transfer care to an obstetrician?”
Questions to Ask Your Care Provider - Birth Center or Home Birth Midwife
- “What percentage of your clients transfer care before labor?”
- “What are the most common reasons for transfer of care before labor?”
- “What percentage of your clients transfer to a hospital during birth?”
- “What are the most common reasons for transferring to the hospital?”
- “What are your protocols for postdates?”
- “Do you require a transfer of care at 42 weeks?”
