Variations in the perception of trauma-related complications between attending surgeons, surgery residents, critical care nurses, and medical students.
BACKGROUND
The morbidity and mortality conference (M&M) is a key component of the performance improvement process. The audience response system (ARS) has been shown to improve audience participation and promote more truthful responses in various settings. We implemented the ARS in our trauma M&M and evaluated the responses we received from different categories of participants.


METHODS
This was a prospective observational study undertaken between November 2006 and July 2007. Cases were graded based on the American College of Surgeons scoring system. We evaluated the responses of attending surgeons, residents, critical care nurses, and medical students using the ARS.


RESULTS
We had 695 responses for complications and 936 responses for deaths. Residents consistently scored complications as more severe than other groups (P = .03). There was no difference in the scoring of deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical residents assign higher severity to trauma-related complications than other groups when using an anonymous automated scoring system.
Dissanaike
Sharmila
S
Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA. sharmila.dissanaike@ttuhsc.edu
Berry
Matthew
M
Ginos
Jason
J
Paige
Robert
R
McNabb
Wendi
W
Griswold
John
J
D003422:Critical Care; D004501:Education, Medical; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013337:Students, Medical; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*