A Framework for Supporting Patients and Families After a Severe Maternal Event

It is now well recognized that severe maternal morbidity and traumatic experiences during childbirth can have medical and psychological sequelae well after hospital discharge. The words used when communicating with patients can have a profound effect, especially when a severe maternal event has occurred. To create a patient care discussion (patient debrief) framework, a clinician-patient committee was formed to develop guiding principles with input from multiple perspectives as a part of a two-state quality-improvement project. The "Supportive Communication After a Severe Maternal Event: What Not to Say and Why," "Guide For Pre-Discharge Care Discussion (aka Patient Debrief) After a Severe Maternal Event," and "Guide for Post-Discharge Care After a Severe Maternal Event" documents were created to offer a framework endorsed by a group of patients and health care professionals that can be tailored to each patient's specific needs. These materials are meant to provide health care professionals with checklists and resources to help identify patients who may need support after discharge, as well as a comprehensive list of follow-up services to consider. We expect these materials to be modified to meet the needs of individual communities. Our ultimate goal in sharing these materials is to provide additional information to assist health systems in providing patients with the support and the follow-up needed to recover from a severe maternal event.