Morbidity and mortality conferences: Their educational role and why we should be there

BACKGROUND: This article examines the value of morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences, and the multiple factors that contribute to their efficacy. Physicians’ morbidity and mortality conferences (M&MCs) focus on education by reviewing individual adverse events (AE), M&M. Alternatively, Quality Assurance (QA) conferences better examine system-wide issues (e.g., the role institutions play) in attaining or maintaining acceptable levels of patient care. Other issues examined in this review include: whether prospective vs. retrospective M&M data collection are more accurate, and how most states offer ‘nondiscovery’ of M&M proceedings. METHODS: Most studies emphasize the educational role of M&MCs, and differentiate their role from QA. Studies comparing the accuracy of prospective vs. retrospective collection of M&M data were reviewed along with the medicolegal issues surrounding the protection of M&M data (‘nondiscovery’). RESULTS: Multiple review articles emphasized that QA conferences typically identify system-wide failures (e.g., hospital policies) while M&MCs focus on physicians’ AE/morbidity/mortality. Additionally, the prospective collection of M&M data proved to be more accurate than retrospective analysis. Finally, most states protect M&M confidentiality (‘nondisclosure’); a glaring exception is Florida, ‘The Sunshine State,’ that allows ‘full disclosure.’ CONCLUSION: This study reviews how M&MCs, differentiated from QA meetings, and educate physicians. It also documents how prospective collection of M&M data is more accurate than retrospective analysis. Additionally, it documents how in most states, medicolegal protections against discovery are in place, with Florida, the ‘Sunshine State’ remaining a glaring exception.