title: Implementation of the findings of a national enquiry into the misdiagnosis of miscarriage in the Republic of Ireland: impact on quality of clinical care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the findings of a national inquiry into cases of misdiagnosis of miscarriage in the Republic of Ireland and to report the results of implementation of the findings of the inquiry, including investment in new equipment and training, new national guidelines, and rigorous annual audit of early pregnancy units.
  
  
  METHODS
  Narrative description of the inquiry and its findings and results of a subsequent audit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with problems of bleeding and/or pain in early pregnancy who were erroneously diagnosed as having a nonviable intrauterine pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  After two cases of misdiagnosis of miscarriage that were widely reported in the Republic of Ireland in June 2010, a Miscarriage Misdiagnosis Review Team was commissioned by the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) to undertake a national review of other possible cases of misdiagnosis of miscarriage. The Review Team made a series of recommendations that were subsequently implemented in full. The results of the implementation of the findings of the Review Team have been the subject of three annual audits across the country.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main outcome measure was the occurrence of misdiagnosis of miscarriage in the Republic of Ireland before and after implementation of the findings of the Review Team.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four confirmed cases of misdiagnosis of miscarriage were identified, mostly occurring between 2005 and 2010. Analysis led to a series of recommendations by the Review Team, which were implemented in full by the HSE. Over € 3 million was provided to fund implementation; 26 high-quality gynecological ultrasound machines were purchased to reequip 19 units involved in provision of care to women with suspected miscarriage. There was further allocation of resources for new equipment and improvement in the management and staffing of early pregnancy units across Ireland, with each center now having a dedicated and properly staffed Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit. A national training program in the management of early pregnancy problems has been implemented, along with regular national meetings to discuss early pregnancy problems. National clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and management of miscarriage for implementation have been distributed to all hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No cases of miscarriage misdiagnosis were identified in any of the three annual audits, suggesting that implementation of the findings of the review has been successful. We believe that this is the first report of national change in practice leading to improvement in clinical outcomes in the management of suspected miscarriage.
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: w.ledger@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ledger
authors.affiliation: University College Dublin Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D002017:Budgets; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D017048:Health Care Costs; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009660:Northern Ireland; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
keywords: Miscarriage misdiagnosis; early pregnancy problems; early pregnancy ultrasound