Understanding Severe Maternal Morbidity: Hospital-based Review

Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Jun;61(2):340-346. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000351.

Abstract

Cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) share similarities to maternal deaths, including increasing in frequency and having similar rates of preventability. This article will review steps to organizing and implementing standard reviews of all cases of SMM. These steps include create multidisciplinary SMM review committee; identify potential SMM cases and confirm true SMM; identify the morbidity; abstract and summarize data; present case to review committee for discussion; determine events leading to morbidity; determine opportunities to improve outcome; assess provider, system and patient factors in cases with opportunities to improve outcome; make recommendations; and effect change and evaluate improvement.

MeSH terms

  • Advisory Committees*
  • Clinical Audit*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / prevention & control*
  • Quality Improvement / organization & administration*
  • Quality of Health Care