Grassroots Network Message 307021
MONDAY
7/21 “Patient Choice” Cesarean Section on CNN News
Dear
Friends,
CNN News has been preparing a segment on “Patient Choice”
cesarean section rates, which I understand will be aired Monday, July 21,
sometime during the “American Morning” show which runs from 7-10AM.
Sorry I don’t have anything more specific than that.
Here is what I DO
know:
� The
news segment is
about a “study” to be released Monday morning by
HealthGrades, a company that both rates hospitals, physicians and nursing
homes, for consumers and for the use of those institutions, and provides
marketing services and advice to the same (any conflicts of interest here?)! You
can read more about this company and its services at
www.healthgrades.com .
� The
“study” will be posted in full at www.healthgrades.com on Monday 7/21. It is not
too long do read it!
� At
least one major newspaper will carry an article on this topic.
� CNN
has interviewed the following for this report, plus we don’t know who
else:
Samantha Collier, VP for Medical Affairs of HealthGrade, Inc.
- Tonya Jamois, President of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness
Network).
- A female obstetrician who has chosen cesarean section (and is about to do
it again, I understand)
�
The
study
purports to show an increase in “patient choice” cesarean sections.
However, the study actually looks only at first-time planned (before labor
begins) cesarean sections for which there were none of a list of existing
medical situations that are considered “indicators” for medically-indicated
cesareans. In a conversation I had with Samantha Collier, she stated that
“patient choice” was a “consumer-friendly” label they decided to call these
non-medically-indicated cesareans.
In the absence of any data about “choice”
they are assuming and giving the impression that all of these cesareans were
chosen by the woman!
� A
1995 paper by Gregory & Korst (
Health Services Research, October
2002), cited in the study and mentioned to me by Samantha Collier, found that
the rate of preplanned first time cesarean sections was 4.27%, and that just 7%
of the 4.27% had none of the clinical “indicators” predictive of cesarean
section. So
the “study” is addressing only a tiny, miniscule proportion
of cesarean sections, and a very tiny fraction of the over 4 million births
per year in the US.
� This
“study” is simply being released to the press. It is not a bona fide scientific
study and has not gone through a review process before being published in a
reputable research journal.
Since this “study” is sure to be reported
in many newspapers and magazines, this could be an excellent chance to write
letters to the editor. A big question: why all this attention to this
tiny number of cesarean sections, and so little attention to the news that the
US now has the highest cesarean section rate ever, 26.1%, evidence of the
failure of modern obstetrics to support healthy normal birth (something that
midwives for which midwives are better trained and more appropriate). And
why does this study unscientifically label the preplanned cesareans which did
not have one of the list of medical indicators “patient choice”? Could there be
a hidden agenda??? The ICAN website
www.ican-online.org also has excellent information about cearean section
rates.
Some tips for writing letters to the editor are included
below.
Sincerely,
Susan Hodges
“gatekeeper”
Letters to the
Editor
Working with the news media has
many aspects and is beyond the scope of this packet. However, writing
letters to the editor and editorials for your local newspaper is something
anyone can do and can definitely bring midwifery issues and the Midwifery Model
of Care to the attention of your community.
Tips:
- * A Letter to the Editor can initiate a subject, it does not always have
to be in response to an article or another letter. However, in general it is
more likely to get published if there is at least a reference to something
recently published in that paper.
- * Check with your paper for the recommended length for Letters to the
Editor. Usually the limit is about 250 words. The paper might publish
something longer, or if your letter is too long, they may edit it down to
size. Generally it is preferable to submit the one YOU edited
down! Also ask about the requirements for editorials.
- * Read letters and editorials in your target newspaper to get a feeling
for the style and content that newspaper tends to publish.
- * The short length encourages sticking to one main point or argument,
and doesn't allow for too much detail you really have to hone it down
to the essentials for the point you want to make.
- * Write clear simple sentences; omit unnecessary words.
- * Make sure the message is straightforward and that each point is clear
and supported.
- * Find additional tips and more detail on the web; the 20/20 Vision site
at <http://www.2020vision.org/tools.html> has a Atool kit
for Activists@ that includes APursuing the Press@ with excellent
suggestions.
