Provider attitudes about gaining consent for perinatal autopsy.

Area of Science:

• Perinatal medicine
• Medical ethics
• Healthcare professional attitudes

Background:

• Perinatal autopsy is crucial for understanding fetal and neonatal deaths.
• Healthcare professionals' attitudes can impact parental consent for autopsies.
• Understanding these attitudes is key to improving autopsy rates and perinatal care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the attitudes of neonatologists, obstetricians, midwives, and neonatal nurses towards perinatal autopsy.
• To survey physicians on their perception of who influences women's decisions regarding autopsy consent.

Main Methods:

• A postal survey with case scenarios was distributed to Australian physicians and nurses.
• Respondents rated their likelihood of seeking autopsy consent on a 7-point Likert scale.
• Statistical analyses included ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U tests to compare groups and factors.

Main Results:

• Response rates varied by profession, with midwives and nurses having higher rates (77% and 75%).
• Neonatologists and obstetricians were more likely to seek autopsy consent than neonatal nurses and midwives.
• Physicians perceived midwives and nurses as significantly influencing parental consent decisions.

Conclusions:

• Physicians are willing to request perinatal autopsies.
• Factors like diagnostic confidence and parental views may affect consent rates, especially for nurses and midwives.
• Interventions targeting healthcare professionals' attitudes, particularly nurses, could enhance perinatal autopsy consent.