IMPROVE Curriculum
Agenda
Each 4-hour workshop consists of:
- Welcome and Introductions
- Six Skills Stations
- Formative Assessment
- Evaluation & Conclusion
Station One: Communication with parents about perinatal autopsy
Aim: To provide information to assist clinicians to help parents make an informed choice about perinatal autopsy.
Objectives: At the end of this station you will:
- Understand the principles of compassionate communication around parental consent for autopsy.
- Know the relevant information to provide parents to enable informed choice about perinatal autopsy including value of an autopsy.
- Understand the common barriers to obtaining consent for autopsy and be able to discuss possible solutions.
Station Two: Autopsy and placental examination
Aim: To understand care of the baby during and after autopsy and the process of placental examination.
Objectives: At the end of this station you will:
- Know the indications and processes required for placental pathology
- Examine the placenta, cord and membranes systematically
- Explain the external appearance of a baby after autopsy
Station Three: Investigation of fetal deaths
Aim: To explore the core investigations for a fetal death
Objectives: At the end of this station participants will:
- Understand the timing, the type and the reasons for the core investigations of fetal death.
- Understand the approach to investigating fetal death when the cause is definitely known
- Understand the timing, type and reasons for additional investigations of fetal death
- Be aware of the availability of alternative investigations for fetal death when autopsy is declined
Station Four: Examination of babies who die in the perinatal period
Aim: To demonstrate detailed clinical examination of babies including measurements and clinical photographs
Objectives: At the end of this station participants will:
- Use the recommended checklist to examine a baby following perinatal death
- Measure a baby and plot these measurements on centile charts
- Know the recommended standardized clinical photographs
Station Five: Institutional perinatal mortality audit and classification
Aim: To provide an understanding of the process of institutional perinatal mortality audit and classification as to causes and contributing factors of stillbirths and neonatal deaths
Objectives: At the end of this station participants will:
- Know the process for high quality perinatal mortality audit
- Understand the purpose and benefits of perinatal audit and classification using ICD-10 Perinatal Mortality Codes
- Understand how to apply the classification system
Station Six: Psychological and social aspects of perinatal bereavement
Aim: To provide an understanding of how to provide appropriate psychological and social support for families after a stillbirth and neonatal death.
Objectives: At the end of this station participants will:
- Understand parental responses after experiencing perinatal death
- Know the factors considered to be important for bereaved parents which will influence their experience and outcome
- Be able to provide appropriate information to parents concerning birth options, special circumstances, creating memories, hospital stay, funeral arrangements and aftercare.
