BRITISH COLUMBIA PERINATAL HEALTH PROGRAM Optimizing Neonatal, Maternal and Fetal Health Maternal Mortality in British Columbia British Columbia Perinatal Health Program Special Report / September 2008 Author: Duncan Farquharson, MD, FRCSC, FACOG , Chair of Provincial Perinatal Mortality Committee; Medical Director, BC Perinatal Health Program Co-authors: Sheryll Dale, Manager, BC Perinatal Database Registry Romy McMaster, Provincial Perinatal Analyst, BCPHP Lisa Miyazaki, Provincial Perinatal Analyst, BCPHP Terri Pacheco, Provincial Perinatal Analyst, BCPHP Special Report Maternal Mortality in British Columbia is a Special Report developed through the British Columbia Perinatal Health Program’s Perinatal Mortality Review Committee in collaboration with British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency. The goal of this publication is to provide information regarding maternal mortality in BC in response to the Special Report on Maternal Mortality and Severe Morbidity in Canada published by Health Canada in 2004 [1] . About the British Columbia Perinatal Health Program The Ministry of Health and the British Columbia One of the mandates of the BCRCP is “the collection Medical Association (BCMA) initiated the British and analysis of data to evaluate perinatal outcomes, Columbia Reproductive Care Program (BCRCP) in June care processes and resources via a province-wide 1988. The BCRCP became part of the Provincial Health computerized database”. This mandate led to the Services Authority (PHSA) in 2001 when the govern - development of the British Columbia Perinatal ment of British Columbia introduced five geographi - Database Registry (BCPDR), with its stated mission cally based health authorities and one provincial to collect, maintain, analyze and disseminate com - health service authority. In 2007, a new organizational prehensive, province-wide perinatal data for the pur - structure – the BC Perinatal Health Program (BCPHP) poses of monitoring and improving perinatal care. – was created to coordinate both the BCRCP and the Rollout of the Registry began in 1994, with collection Provincial Specialized Perinatal Services (PSPS). The of data from a small number of hospital sites. BCPHP continues to work towards optimizing neona - Participation increased every year, resulting in full tal, maternal and fetal health in the province through provincial data collection commencing April 1, 2000. educational support to care providers, outcome The BCPDR is a relational database containing over analysis and multidisciplinary perinatal guidelines. 300 fields, and with complete provincial data, is a The BCPHP is overseen by a Provincial Perinatal valuable source of perinatal information. Advisory Committee and has representa - The BCPDR currently maintains records for more than tion from the Ministry of Health 400,000 births that have been collected from obstetri - Services (MOHS), the Provincial cal facilities throughout the province as well as births Health Services Authority (PHSA), occurring at home attended by BC Registered Children’s and Women’s Health Midwives. BC women who deliver out of province are Centre of BC, Health Authorities, not captured in the BC Perinatal Database Registry. health care providers, and aca - demic organizations. Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and matched files from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency complement the data elements. Page 2 l Maternal Mortality in British Columbia Provincial Perinatal Mortality Review Committee On January 27, 1998, an Order in Council was signed 3. Assist local Perinatal Mortality Committees in con - by the Attorney General of British Columbia providing ducting appropriate review of maternal deaths. the Perinatal Mortality Review Committee of the 4. Establish a process for the collection of British British Columbia Reproductive Care Program with the Columbia Perinatal Mortality data and review designation of a Quality Review Committee under causes of potentially preventable stillbirths and Regulation 363/95, paragraph (c) of 51(2) of the early neonatal deaths. Evidence Act. The objective of the Perinatal Mortality 5. Produce reports analyzing potentially preventable Review Committee (PMR) is to review and report on causes of direct and indirect maternal deaths. maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity to In accordance with the mandate of the Perinatal identify provincial concerns and recommend strate - Mortality Review Committee, a series of activities were gies to address these concerns. The PMR Committee completed. A maternal mortality collection tool is committed to a provincial approach to support (Maternal Mortality Review Form) was designed to quality in maternity care services and, as such, facilitate data collection as part of the chart review of multidisciplinary representation from each Health identified maternal mortality cases. A maternal mor - Authority, College of Midwives and Aboriginal Health bidity adverse outcome index (Harvard Adverse has been undertaken. Clinical representation includes Outcome Index) was also explored. The Harvard obstetricians, neonatologists, pediatricians, nurses, Adverse Outcome Index uses three indicators to anesthetists and midwives. describe the frequency and severity of adverse events In addition, commitment to review findings, make rec - occurring during labour and delivery, which include ommendations and formulate subsequent reports maternal death and severe maternal morbidity [2]. with the Vital Statistics Agency of British Columbia, Subsequent to applying this index to a subset of BC Coroners Service of British Columbia and Health Care data, differences in rates and severity of adverse Protection Program (HCPP) has been established. events were noted between Health Authorities and hospitals. The BC Perinatal Mortality Review The BC Perinatal Mortality Review Committee had Committee recommended adopting the Harvard been inactive for a number of years following the Adverse Outcome Index as a method for ongoing sur - Order in Council in 1998. Subsequent to the Special veillance of maternal mortality and morbidity in BC. Report on Maternal Mortality and Severe Morbidity Finally, a maternal mortality and morbidity survey was in Canada published by Health Canada in 2004, the conducted in order to determine the status of local importance of this committee became evident and a hospital and regional perinatal mortality and morbid - revised membership list was submitted to amend the ity review processes and to identify consistencies Order in Council on July 21, 2006. (Appendix A). in reporting of maternal death. The findings of this sur - The mandate of the BC Perinatal Mortality Review vey showed significant hospital and regional dispari - Committee is to: ties in review structures. 1. Collect accurate data on maternal mortality in This Special Report describes the results compiled British Columbia through liaison with the BC from a review conducted of the maternal deaths in Perinatal Database Registry, the Office of the Chief British Columbia from 2000 to 2006 with the collabo - Coroner in BC, and BC Vital Statistics. ration of the Vital Statistics Agency of BC and the 2. Establish a data collection tool to facilitate review of Coroners Service of BC. maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. Maternal Mortality in British Columbia l Page 3 Introduction Health Canada’s Special Report on Maternal This Special Report describes some of the causes Mortality and Severe Morbidity in Canada published of maternal mortality in British Columbia over a in 2004 conveyed the importance of enhanced mater - seven-year period and uses information from the nal death surveillance systems in order to increase recent scientific literature to provide an informed awareness of the occurrence and ultimate preven - perspective on the issue. tion of maternal deaths [1]. At the time of publi - Maternal mortality is an important indicator of the cation of the Health Canada report, only three risks of pregnancy and childbirth, a woman’s status, provinces and one territory in Canada were noted to a woman’s access to healthcare and the ability of the have established maternal death review committees. healthcare system to provide appropriate and effec - Although an Order in Council had been signed in tive care to the woman [3]. Maternal mortality has nev - 1998 by the Attorney General of British Columbia ertheless decreased considerably during the twentieth providing the Perinatal Mortality Review Committee century, especially in developed countries [4] with of the British Columbia Reproductive Care Program Canada’s maternal mortality rate one of the lowest in with the designation of a Quality Review Committee the world [1]. In 2005, in Canada, the maternal mortal - under Regulation 363/95, paragraph (c) of 51(2) of ity rate was estimated as 7 per 100,000 live births [5]. the Evidence Act, this committee had been inactive However, with over 536,000 maternal deaths occurring for a number of years. The importance of this defi - worldwide in 2005 [5], the importance of accurately ciency was identified as a priority and a process was identifying, quantifying and classifying maternal mor - undertaken to re-activate the Perinatal Mortality tality is critical in improving quality of care and reduc - Review Committee of British Columbia. ing maternal death in British Columbia and throughout the world [1]. Page 4 l Maternal Mortality in British Columbia Methods The data used for this analysis were obtained from the the puerperium)