Perinatal mortality & morbidity Audit

Perinatal Mortality and Morbidity (PNM&M) Audit Project

The PNM&M project was piloted in Victoria in 2004/05, conducted in rural Queensland and NT in 2005 /06, in rural NSW in 2006/07 and in rural SA & WA in 2008. RANZCOG received new funding in Round 8 of the SSRS scheme to complete the audit cycle at regional sites throughout Australia in 2009.

The project sought to improve the audit, investigation and peer review skills of regional and rural obstetricians and paediatricians who have been involved in perinatal adverse events (“near misses”) that have resulted in a transfer to a neonatal intensive care unit, special care nursery or a perinatal death.

The 2009 Project

The project is now coming to an end with seven sit visits been undertaken and funding concluding on the 31st December 2009.

An audit facilitators training teleconference was held on the 14th May, 2009 in order to refresh the skills required to undertake the audits, to give an overview of the changes to the PSANZ guidelines and to give facilitators an opportunity to have any questions answered. The teleconference involved 13 Fellows.

The visits consisted of one full day to carry out the review of records, interview the unit staff, provide feedback on clinical and systems issues and develop an action plan for improvement in collaboration with the clinicians involved.

A follow-up teleconference for all participants was held on the 2nd December in order to gain feedback from participants regarding their experience of the project.

Overall the project was very well received with positive feedback from both those Fellows receiving the audit and those undertaking the audit.

Who was Involved?

Collaborators

The project was a collaboration between:

• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and
• The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)

What was Involved in the PM&M Audit?

Those participating as audit facilitators:

• Gained access to a range of tools and guidelines on how to carry out perinatal audit
• Partcipated in a refresher teleconference held on 14th May
• Visited another regional health service and facilitate an audit over one day
• Participated in a debrief session (via teleconference)

Fellows being audited:

• Received peer review in the area of perinatal mortality
• Developed an action plan on how they might improve their practice
• Participated in a debrief session (via teleconference)

Qualified Privilege

Safeguarding information and practitioners

This project is covered under the Commonwealth Qualified Privilege Scheme. This encourages health professionals to undertake efficient quality assurance activities in connection with the provision of certain health services. The Scheme has been designed to provide important safeguards by protecting certain information from disclosure and protecting persons involved in the activity from civil liability.

The Commonwealth Qualified Privilege Scheme under Part VC of the Health Insurance Act 1973 is designed to remove these fears and encourage health care professionals to participate in quality assurance activities by providing:

• for the confidentiality of most information that identifies individuals and which becomes known as a result of declared quality assurance activities
• protection from civil proceedings (apart from those relating to the rules of procedural fairness) for members of committees that assess or evaluate the quality of health services provided by others.

For Further Information

For further information please contact:

Valerie Jenkins

Manager Fellowship Services
RANZCOG

© RANZCOG