Improving the practice of child death overview panels: a paediatric perspective

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Paediatrics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Child Death Overview Panels (CDOPs) in England systematically review childhood deaths.
• The primary goal of CDOPs is to understand causes and implement interventions to prevent future deaths.
• Evaluating the effectiveness and value of CDOPs from the perspective of involved paediatricians is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the perceived effectiveness and value of Child Death Overview Panels (CDOPs).
• To gather paediatricians' perspectives on the functioning of CDOPs.
• To identify specific areas for improvement within the CDOP process.

Main Methods:

• A national questionnaire survey was distributed to all 93 Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) paediatricians in England.
• The questionnaire focused on the quality of case discussions and the significance of recommendations.
• Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to analyze the survey responses.

Main Results:

• A high response rate (90%) was achieved, with 84 paediatricians participating.
• The majority of respondents (71%) found CDOP investment to be of good value, and 87% considered case discussions rigorous.
• Key areas for improvement included devolving specialist death reviews, filtering cases, and enhancing national data integration.

Conclusions:

• Child Death Overview Panels (CDOPs) are perceived as valuable, but enhancements are needed, especially during economic austerity.
• Recommendations include strengthening relationships with commissioning bodies and improving national data aggregation and analysis.
• Consideration should be given to specialist or network reviews for specific death categories like neonates and oncology.