Practice Trends in Outpatient Obstetrics and Gynecology: Findings of the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network, 1995–2000

Abstract

After completion of this article, the reader will be able to define what the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network (CARN) involves, describe how CARN obtains its data, and summarize some of the findings of CARN from the years 1995 to 2000.

Interactions of doctors with the pharmaceutical industry

“…Members of CARN typically do not differ from large random samples of ACOG fellows and junior fellows in practice on our other survey instruments. 9 Although our study may be subject to nonresponse bias, the findings should be reliable. The typical response rate in these surveys ranges from 35% to 60% and, at 55%, our response rate was at the high end of expected participation.…”

“…Members of CARN represent each of the 10 ACOG districts, and typically have not differed from large random samples of ACOG Fellows and Junior Fellows in Practice on our other survey instruments. 9 On the basis of similar studies conducted by ACOG, where preliminary power analyses indicated that the minimum number of responses needed to ensure significant effect sizes was approximately 100, our sample size was deemed sufficient. 10 All non-respondents received a second mailing of the questionnaire four weeks after the first mailing.…”

Oral health during pregnancy

“…However, CARN members are a representative sample (by age, gender, and geographic location) of the ACOG membership, of which over 90% of obstetrician-gynecologists in the US are members. Previous analyses assessing whether responses from CARN members differ from those of ACOG members in general [14] have concluded that there are few, if any, differences between samples.…”

Practice patterns and attitudes about treating abnormal uterine bleeding: a national survey of obstetricians and gynecologists

“…Six hundred two recipients were members of the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network (CARN), which is a group of practicing obstetrician-gynecologists who volunteer to participate in survey research. (12) The other 200 recipients were randomly selected ACOG members who had not received a survey from ACOG in the previous 2 years. Other ACOG studies which surveyed both CARN members and a random sample of ACOG members have found that CARN members had been in practice longer than non-CARN members, but that there were no differences between groups in terms of distribution of responses to the survey questions.…”