Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?

Relatives can offer important insights into the quality of care. In England, the Medical Examiner (ME) system has been introduced to identify if there are any causes for concern relating to the cause of death or the person’s care in their final illness. We reviewed feedback from bereaved relatives t...

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Main Authors: Saskie Dorman, Andy Brogan, Becky Protopsaltis, Ryan Barter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-03-01
Series:BMJ Open Quality
Online Access:https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/1/e003152.full
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author Saskie Dorman
Andy Brogan
Becky Protopsaltis
Ryan Barter
author_facet Saskie Dorman
Andy Brogan
Becky Protopsaltis
Ryan Barter
author_sort Saskie Dorman
collection DOAJ
description Relatives can offer important insights into the quality of care. In England, the Medical Examiner (ME) system has been introduced to identify if there are any causes for concern relating to the cause of death or the person’s care in their final illness. We reviewed feedback from bereaved relatives to identify opportunities for improvement. Routinely collected data (date and place of death, demographics, relationship to the person who had died, concerns raised via the ME system) were collated over 12 months (March 2023 to February 2024, East Dorset, UK). Each comment recorded in the ME records was read by one of the authors and issues identified were coded as themes. Concerns were recorded in 8% and appreciative comments in 12%. The most frequent concerns raised related to family/carer communication (56% of concerns raised). Feedback also reported issues relating to access, delays and care which did not attend to what mattered. Effective feedback loops and meaningful action are important elements of generative governance.
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spelling doaj-art-dae93776cbc64592b97d763ff82554762025-08-20T01:50:22ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Quality2399-66412025-03-0114110.1136/bmjoq-2024-003152Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?Saskie Dorman0Andy Brogan1Becky Protopsaltis2Ryan Barter3Palliative Medicine, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UKEasier Inc, Waterlooville, UKBereavement & Medical Examiner Services, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UKEast Dorset Medical Examiner Service, Poole, UKRelatives can offer important insights into the quality of care. In England, the Medical Examiner (ME) system has been introduced to identify if there are any causes for concern relating to the cause of death or the person’s care in their final illness. We reviewed feedback from bereaved relatives to identify opportunities for improvement. Routinely collected data (date and place of death, demographics, relationship to the person who had died, concerns raised via the ME system) were collated over 12 months (March 2023 to February 2024, East Dorset, UK). Each comment recorded in the ME records was read by one of the authors and issues identified were coded as themes. Concerns were recorded in 8% and appreciative comments in 12%. The most frequent concerns raised related to family/carer communication (56% of concerns raised). Feedback also reported issues relating to access, delays and care which did not attend to what mattered. Effective feedback loops and meaningful action are important elements of generative governance.https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/1/e003152.full
spellingShingle Saskie Dorman
Andy Brogan
Becky Protopsaltis
Ryan Barter
Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?
BMJ Open Quality
title Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?
title_full Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?
title_fullStr Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?
title_full_unstemmed Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?
title_short Feedback from bereaved relatives via Medical Examiners: what kinds of concerns are raised?
title_sort feedback from bereaved relatives via medical examiners what kinds of concerns are raised
url https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/1/e003152.full
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