West Virginia Code
Article 12A. Fatality and Mortality Review Team
§61-12A-5. Required Reporting and Analysis

(a) The infant and mortality review panel shall annually analyze data to identify themes, underlying risk factors, and gaps in care, to understand factors related to deaths during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. This analysis is required to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions best practices for maternal mortality review and infant mortality review, and include health care and clinical factors as well as social determinants of health. Using data gathered, the panel may provide recommendations and develop strategies to prevent problems that arise during the prenatal and postpartum period.
(b) The following variables should be routinely analyzed to describe pregnancy-associated deaths:
(1) Age at death;
(2) Race and ethnicity;
(3) Education;
(4) Insurance status;
(5) Marital status;
(6) County type (urban or rural) of maternal residence;
(7) Timing of death in relation to pregnancy; and
(8) Causes of death.
(c) Reports of aggregated nonindividually identifiable data shall be compiled on a routine basis for distribution in an effort to further study the causes and problems associated with maternal and infant deaths.
(d) Reports shall be distributed to the Commission on Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, a member of the infant and maternal mortality review panel, health care providers, key government agencies, and others as identified to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate.
(e) The Bureau for Public Health, working in conjunction with the infant and mortality review panel, shall perform a multiyear detailed analysis, utilizing data from vital records, the infant and mortality review panel, and other sources as necessary and, in partnership with other providers, including the perinatal collaborative, make recommendations for systems change to reduce maternal and infant mortality. Such report shall be made available to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability by December 31, 2020.

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