title: Development and use of quality of care indicators for obstetric care in women with preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and severe morbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop indicators for evaluating the quality of care in managing preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  An expert group helped to develop and validate the following indicators for evaluating quality of care: availability of intensive care; completeness of laboratory tests; appropriateness of drug treatment at admission and before delivery (antihypertensive drugs, anticonvulsants, and dexamethasone); gestational age at which pregnancy should be interrupted; and type of delivery. By using these indicators, it was possible to evaluate the quality of care in 432 patients with preeclampsia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant percentage of patients with preeclampsia and "near misses" received low quality of care, regardless of disease severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of interventions are needed to increase the quality of care to help avert maternal deaths in patients with preeclampsia.
authors: Epidemiology and Health Services Research Unit, CMN Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico. ricardo.perezcuevas@imss.gob.mx
authors: Ricardo
authors: R
authors: Pérez-Cuevas
authors: Hortensia Reyes
authors: HR
authors: Morales
authors: Svetlana Vladislavovna
authors: SV
authors: Doubova
authors: Vitelio Velasco
authors: VV
authors: Murillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000592:standards; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care