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Published on: August 25, 2014
Design and evaluation of a regional perinatal audit
Marianne E Alderliesten1, Karien Stronks, Gouke J Bonsel
1Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Postbus 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. marianne@alderliesten.com <marianne@alderliesten.com>
Summary
A regional perinatal audit effectively identified substandard care in 25% of perinatal deaths, comparable to other audits. This systematic approach is feasible and fosters open discussion among care providers.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Auditing Practices
Background:
- Regional perinatal audits are crucial for improving infant mortality rates.
- Understanding the implementation and outcomes of regional perinatal audits is essential for healthcare systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the experiences of a regional perinatal death audit.
- To compare this audit's findings with existing perinatal audits.
- To outline implications for future regional audit implementation.
Main Methods:
- A regional perinatal audit involving blinded auditors analyzed consecutive perinatal death cases.
- Substandard care factors were identified, with a random selection reviewed by an external panel.
- A survey assessed audit members' experiences and perceptions.
Main Results:
- Cooperation was high among regional care providers, including hospitals, general practitioners, and midwives.
- Substandard care factors were present in 25% of all perinatal deaths, rising to 35% after 23 weeks gestation and 52% in intrapartum deaths.
- Findings on substandard care prevalence and audit committee reviews were comparable to non-regional audits; members felt secure discussing care.
Conclusions:
- The first systematic experiences with a regional perinatal audit are presented.
- A regional perinatal audit is executable, demonstrating good cooperation among care providers.
- The review of substandard care factors is comparable to non-regional audits, supporting its utility.
