Voluntary Review of Quality of Care
Elevating Ob-Gyn Care for Over 30 Years Through Trusted Quality Reviews
For over 30 years, the Voluntary Review of Quality of Care (VRQC) program has been a trusted partner to hospitals and health systems nationwide—delivering expert, confidential, and objective assessments of obstetric and gynecologic services. VRQC has conducted over 400 site visits, reflecting its deep experience across a wide spectrum of care environments—from 20-bed hospitals with Level I OB services to 1,400-bed institutions providing Level IV care.
Why Choose VRQC?
VRQC isn’t just a review, it’s a catalyst for transformation. Each site visit is led by a multidisciplinary team, including ACOG Fellows, who bring clinical expertise and a collaborative approach to identifying opportunities for improvement.
The result— tailored, actionable recommendations that strengthen care delivery, enhance outcomes, and build trust within care teams.
Flexible for Your Needs
Whether your facility is large or small, urban or rural, academic or community-based, VRQC adapts to your context. Reviews are available for individual hospitals or across entire health systems. System leaders can request reviews for multiple facilities and receive a comprehensive systemwide analysis that synthesizes findings and highlights trends across sites.
Key Benefits Include ...
- Uncovering leading drivers of adverse events
- Strengthening teamwork and trust among care teams
- Advancing patient-centered care and improving outcomes
- Accessing expert-driven resources to support quality improvement
What to Expect During a Visit
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A typical visit lasts two days and is conducted from Thursday to Friday. Practicing ob-gyns and nurses (additional reviewers may include CNMs, MFMs, anesthesiologists, or family physicians) with quality review expertise assess the facility through a tour, staff interviews, and review of medical records. Reviewers conduct the evaluation using evidence-based ACOG guidelines and provide a final report with findings, actionable recommendations, and ACOG resources.
Below is an outline of the site visit schedule.
Day One
- Entrance conference to introduce the team and explain the purpose of the visit
- Hospital tour
- Confidential interviews
Day Two
- Log into EMR/review navigation
- Chart reviews
- Exit conference
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Clinical
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Poor management of induction of labor
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Poor physician practice patterns
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Poor interpretation of fetal heart tracing
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Poor management decisions for cesarean birth
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Hysterectomy performed despite incomplete workup
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Inappropriate medication use (eg, oxytocin)
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Lack of adherence to guidelines
Systems, Leadership, and Communication
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Lack of department leadership or structure
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Inadequate nurse staffing
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Increase or decrease in size or services provided
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Lack of effective quality assessment process
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Lack of effective peer review
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Policies and procedures are not current
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Poor documentation of clinical reasoning
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Interested in a Review?
If you want to request a VRQC visit or have any questions, please submit an inquiry.
Following a request for a site visit, the hospital will be asked to sign a business agreement, submit demographic and clinical data for the department and for each health care professional (ob-gyns and CNMs), and pay a deposit.
Cost Information
The team composition and fee for a VRQC site visit are based on Levels of Maternal Care. A deposit toward the total fee is required prior to scheduling review dates. The fee cited includes all program administrative and operational costs.
Questions
Please view our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for answers to most commonly asked questions.
You may also contact us at [email protected].