Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently asked questions about SCOPE for Women’s Health

What if I don’t do any office procedures or don’t do any OB, can I be part of SCOPE?

YES. The areas that you are not actively engaged in are simply listed as “not applicable” in the application and these are not included in the site evaluation. This is intended for the broad scope of practice of ambulatory women’s health so it covers offices that only do gyn or only do ob or only do well women or only do office procedures or do all or some of each. Everyone can benefit.

What is SCOPE and what are SCOPE’s goals?

SCOPE is a voluntary, comprehensive patient safety review program available to medical practices in which obstetric and gynecologic services are provided. The goals of SCOPE are to assist Fellows in assessing the implementation and use of patient safety concepts and techniques in their offices and to recognize those offices with strong patient safety practices. SCOPE may identify office processes that require improvement, and ACOG will provide assistance and education to make changes and enhance patient safety. SCOPE will benefit Fellows and their patients.

Why has ACOG not offered a certification program in the past?

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists was created to allow us to provide services to our members, like certification programs, that the College is not able to provide because of its tax status. Certification for office processes is one of those areas that we wanted to provide to our members.

Why is ACOG defining safety in women’s health care?

ACOG should be defining safety in women’s healthcare. Through SCOPE, we are taking the lead rather than letting others define it for our Fellows. All of us have observed the increasing reliance on third party definitions, and even certification of quality of care, cost effectiveness, and other proxies for “value” by payers and government agencies. Rather than agencies outside of the specialty setting the benchmarks, our Fellows - who are the leading experts in women’s health care - should be the ones doing this work.

How is SCOPE going to affect Fellows financially?

ACOG’s pricing for SCOPE will vary with practice size and will be affordable for all practices. Financial and other costs have been a major part of the SCOPE development process. With SCOPE, ACOG is working to improve patient safety, while recognizing the increased financial demands on Fellows in office practice, as well as the huge toll that litigation takes on everyone involved. Everyone will benefit if through the implementation of patient safety measures, we can reduce medical errors, provide improved patient outcomes and reduce the risk of litigation. The patient safety processes that are promoted through SCOPE also directly benefit Fellows by assuring that their offices are running efficiently and safely and by enhancing provider, staff, and patient satisfaction. Finally, we are working to educate the indemnity industry about the value of SCOPE so that professional liability insurers will offer premium rate reductions for physicians with a SCOPE certified office. This can make SCOPE a cost-saving measure rather than an additional expense for Fellows.

Is SCOPE mandatory?

SCOPE is a voluntary program. ACOG is offering SCOPE to assist practices that care for women in achieving their patient safety goals. However, ACOG hopes that ob-gyns as leaders in women’s health care will choose to participate. As with any new program, there is an “adoption curve” and it may take a while for practices to appreciate the value of the program. However, ACOG hopes that participating offices will encourage others to participate as well. But, ACOG will not require Fellows to participate in SCOPE.

Was SCOPE designed by academics without benefit of “real world” office experience?

SCOPE was designed by a group of Fellows, most of whom are in active practice, over several years. Pilot office site visits were conducted in rural, suburban and urban settings, in a variety of practice sizes, and at both offices affiliated with a larger institution and private offices. Only two out of nineteen pilot sites had an academic affiliation.

Has SCOPE been tested in smaller offices?

Pilot sites included offices that had only one physician and one nurse. These offices were able to develop safety processes recommended by the SCOPE program without added costs. For example, an electronic medical record is not required for SCOPE certification. Many offices are already doing most of what is required for SCOPE certification. The SCOPE program will help to formalize these processes and ensure that offices are recognized for what they are already doing right.