Barriers and facilitators to learn and improve through morbidity and mortality conferences: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: To explore barriers and facilitators to successful morbidity and mortality conferences (M&M), driving learning and improvement. DESIGN: This is a qualitative study with semistructured interviews. Inductive, thematic content analysis was used to identify barriers and facilitators, which were structured across a pre-existing framework for change in healthcare. SETTING: Dutch academic surgical department with a long tradition of M&M. PARTICIPANTS: An interview sample of surgeons, residents and physician assistants (n=12). RESULTS: A total of 57 barriers and facilitators to successful M&M, covering 18 themes, varying from ‘case type’ to ‘leadership’, were perceived by surgical staff. While some factors related to M&M organisation, others concerned individual or social aspects. Eight factors, of which four were at the social level, had simultaneous positive and negative effects (eg, ‘hierarchy’ and ‘team spirit’). Mediating pathways for M&M success were found to relate to available information, staff motivation and realisation processes. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides leads for improvement of M&M practice, as well as for further research on key elements of successful M&M. Various factors were perceived to affect M&M success, of which many were individual and social rather than organisational factors, affecting information and realisation processes but also staff motivation. Based on these findings, practical recommendations were formulated to guide efforts towards best practices for M&M.