Understanding Severe Maternal Morbidity: Hospital-based Review

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) cases are rising and share preventability with maternal deaths.
• Standardized review processes are crucial for understanding and mitigating SMM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail a systematic approach for organizing and implementing reviews of all severe maternal morbidity cases.
• To provide a framework for identifying opportunities to improve outcomes in SMM events.

Main Methods:

• Establish a multidisciplinary SMM review committee.
• Identify and confirm true SMM cases.
• Abstract and summarize case data for committee review.
• Determine contributing factors (provider, system, patient) and recommend improvements.

Main Results:

• The proposed methodology enables a comprehensive review of SMM cases.
• Identifies specific events and factors leading to severe maternal morbidity.
• Facilitates the development of targeted recommendations for care improvement.

Conclusions:

• Implementing standardized SMM case reviews is essential for reducing morbidity.
• Systematic analysis allows for the identification of actionable opportunities to improve patient safety and outcomes.
• Continuous evaluation and quality improvement are key to addressing the rising rates of severe maternal morbidity.