Association for Surgical Education
Faculty and resident opinions regarding the role of morbidity and mortality conference

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The role of the surgical morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference as a forum for examination of surgical failure may remain unclear. This paper reports the results of a national survey of surgical faculty and trainees regarding the role and effectiveness of the M&M conference.

METHODS:

Based on focus groups and pilot studies from multiple institutions in one geographic area, a questionnaire addressing critical issues in attitudes toward the M&M conference was sent to 1,100 randomly chosen subjects nationwide: 500 residents and 600 staff. The survey includes individual and institutional demographic information, 15 statements answered using a Likert scale, and 2 open-ended questions.

RESULTS:

Faculty response rate was 501 of 600 (83%) and resident response rate was 166 of 500 (33%). Responses were generally positive in both groups, with staff showing small but significantly more positive attitudes than residents. A higher proportion of residents characterize the M&M conference as too defensive.

CONCLUSION: The M&M conference is fulfilling its potential as a teaching tool but there may be room for improvement as residents view the experience slightly less positively than faculty. This questionnaire provides a perspective of expectations for the M&M conference, allowing educators to optimize its effectiveness.

Section snippets

Methods

The proposed criterion sample included teaching faculty and surgical residents. Based on six multiinstitutional focus groups from a single geographic area, composed of either faculty or residents exclusively, important issues regarding attitudes toward the M&M conference were identified. The six focus groups were composed of four to eight respondents from several institutions in a single city. Respondents were informally interviewed to determine issues in beliefs, behavior, and attitudes

Results

The combined response rate of the survey was 567 of 1100 (52%). Faculty response rate was 501 of 600 (83%), and resident response was 166 of 500 (33%). Respondents offered overwhelmingly consistent logistics of the M&M conference across institutions. The vast majority of programs, 630 of 667 (95%), hold the M&M conference as a weekly mandatory conference at which residents present cases under the moderation of a faculty member.

Table Ishows the respondent characteristics comparatively for both

Comments

Results of this survey reinforce the widely held view that the M&M conference is fulfilling its role as one of our most important and powerful educational tools. The excellent overall (53%) and faculty (83%) response implicitly suggests its value to educators. In both faculty and resident groups, attitudes were generally positive regardless of academic rank or level of training. The striking similarities of responses in both groups suggest concern for issues, as well as positive aspects of the

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    Citation Excerpt :

    Almost 80% of responders considered the conference very educational and reported they would attend the conference even if not mandatory. Another national survey in 1999 of 501 faculty members and 166 residents suggested the top 3 goals of the M&M conference were education (faculty: 47%; residents: 43%), to reduce error (faculty: 18%; residents: 31%), and quality assurance (faculty: 14%; residents: 8%).16 Improvement of patient care was ranked fifth by faculty members and sixth by residents.

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