The IWK Health Centre heard from patients and families how difficult it was for them when their child’s death became a Medical Examiners (ME) Case … the rules that didn't allow touching, holding or cuddling their child one final time. The IWK worked for over a year with the ME and a family who had this experience to ‘lean the process’ and try to get it ‘right’ for other families. The work that has been done to create and clearly articulate this process to health care providers could be easily transferred to any healthcare setting in any province.

The presentation introduces the Flow Chart created to illustrate the process for Medical Examiner Cases originating from the IWK Health Centre. The presentation also covers the case flow and decision making process of the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, in order to provide context for the steps in the Flow Chart.

Participants will learn:

The steps in the process for a Medical Examiner Case originating as an in-hospital death in Nova Scotia;
Medical Examiner responsibilities, jurisdiction and authority as directed by provincial (Nova Scotia) legislation;
what types of deaths are legally required to be reported to the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service per provincial legislation;
How the flow chart/process/decision making model may be extrapolated to other provinces or territories.

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