Perinatal mortality in Norway: experience with perinatal audit

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Medicine
• Public Health Policy
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Perinatal services require continuous quality improvement.
• National and local initiatives are crucial for enhancing maternal and infant care.
• Systematic review of perinatal deaths is essential for identifying care gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the establishment and function of Norwegian perinatal committees.
• To highlight the role of audits in identifying avoidable factors in perinatal deaths.
• To assess the impact of these initiatives on improving perinatal care quality.

Main Methods:

• Establishment of county-level special committees for perinatal services.
• Conducting audits of all perinatal deaths to identify contributing factors.
• Focusing on avoidable and potentially avoidable factors and suboptimal care.

Main Results:

• Committees are responsible for local guideline development and death investigations.
• Identification of suboptimal care is a key outcome of the audit process.
• The study provides a baseline perinatal mortality rate for 1989.

Conclusions:

• Perinatal committees and death audits are valuable tools for improving medical quality.
• Systematic review of perinatal mortality can lead to targeted improvements in care.
• These measures are instrumental in the ongoing effort to reduce perinatal mortality.