title: Quality assessment of decision-making in colorectal cancer multidisciplinary meetings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The quality of decision-making in the colorectal multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings can significantly affect the quality of care delivered to patients with colorectal cancer. We performed a prospective study to assess the quality of the MDT meetings in a specialized colorectal unit using an externally observational validated tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  An externally validated observational tool, the Colorectal Multidisciplinary Team Metric for Observation of Decision-Making (cMDT-MODe), was used to assess the quality of clinical decision-making in 64 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although case history information presented by the responsible surgeon was rated high (4.4/5), the quality of radiological and histopathological information regarding each patient's case which was available at the time was less adequate, scoring 3.9/5 and 3.8/5, respectively. Moreover, the precise knowledge of patients' personal views and circumstances was a field requiring further improvement. In a general overview however, the quality and extent of the available information enabled the MDT to provide a clear recommendation regarding the patients' treatment plans in 87.5% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cMDT-MODe tool can be used to prospectively audit the quality of clinical decision-making in the colorectal MDT meetings and highlight the fields of potential improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Good Hope Hospital, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seretis
authors.forename: Rajnish
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mankotia
authors.forename: Kolitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goonetilleke
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rawstorne
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011446:Prospective Studies