The MMRC relies on the accurate submission and reporting of death certificates within the state. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics provides the MMRC staff with the names of the women that qualify for MMRC review for a given year. Maternal deaths are identified through:
- Linkage of the women’s death certificate to a fetal birth certificate or death record that occurred within one year of the mother’s death.
- Death certificate with the pregnancy status/history box checked.
Confirmation of pregnancy status through available healthcare records.
Staff seeks and acquires all pertinent medical (hospital, prenatal care, primary care, mental health, etc.) and non-medical (autopsy reports, obituaries, social media, news reports, etc.) records to determine what factors may have contributed to the woman’s death.
All medical and non-medical records received are reviewed for relevance, ordered chronologically, de-identified, and summarized for the committee to review. De-identification includes removing patient, provider, clinic or hospital names along with the removal of any geographical identifiers.
Prior to each committee meeting, members are given adequate time to review materials and prepare for discussion. During a review meeting, each case is systematically discussed to (1) confirm that it falls within the purview of the MMRC and, if so, (2) to determine the following:
- Was the death pregnancy-related?
- What was the cause of death?
- Was the death preventable?
- What factors contributed to the death?
What recommendations, if any, should be provided to prevent future types of deaths from occurring?