Parents of children who die traumatically or unexpectedly from things like suicide or an overdose suffer from mental and physical health problems and can experience massive disruptions in their family life. For about half of these parents, the first, and sometimes only, interactions they have with the healthcare system when their child dies are with a medical examiner or coroner (hereafter 'ME'). But MEs have little to no training in helping grieving families, and there are no standards guiding medical examiners or coroners on how or even if they should help grieving families. This gap leaves parents to find the help they need on their own. This research will test two different strategies for addressing this gap in the healthcare system.
Parents or caregivers of ME cases involving a person < 25 years old from one of the following offices: Cook County Medical Examiners, Lake County Coroners, DuPage County Coroner, Will County Coroner, McHenry County Coroner, Kane County Coroner, Peoria County Coroner
Parents or caregivers who provide permission to the ME to be referred to Missing Pieces
Parent or caregivers who are referred to Missing Pieces by a ME
Parents or caregivers able to read and communicate in English or Spanish
Parents or caregivers unable to read or communicate in English or Spanish
Parents or caregivers under the age of 18 years old
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Lead sponsor
University of Chicago
Collaborator
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Collaborator
Missing Pieces, a program of the HAP Foundation
Collaborator