Knowledge, Judgment, and Skills in Reproductive Health Care and Abortion Are Essential to the Practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Abstract

A social contract exists between medicine and society. In fulfilling the social contract to our patients and society, physicians have an obligation to provide the evidence-based care that patients want and need. What do the data regarding knowledge, judgment, and skills required to practice obstetrics and gynecology show? Obstetrics and gynecology job task analyses assess the importance of knowledge, judgment, and skills through surveys asking practicing physicians about the criticality and frequency of a variety of task statements to create an importance score. Excerpts from a 2018 practice analysis survey clearly indicate that reproductive health care and abortion are important components of the knowledge, judgment, and skills to practice obstetrics and gynecology in the United States. These standards help to assure the knowledge, judgment, and skills of current and future generations of ob-gyns, so their patients and the public can be provided the comprehensive reproductive health care they want and need. It is sometimes important to restate principles and standards that have become ingrained in thoughts and practices that guide physicians and serve to protect our patients. This concept is important now, as our country, health care professionals, and patients examine the future of reproductive health care, including abortion.