title: Effect of patient safety incident review and reflection in an extended morbidity and mortality meeting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We modified the departmental mortality and morbidity (M&M) meetings to evaluate whether patient safety incident review as a part of this meeting was associated with reduced patient safety incidents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot programme of peer review of patient safety incidents (PSI) supported by education relevant to that event and follow-on action plan was introduced as a part of an extended morbidity and mortality meeting in a university hospital orthopaedic department. The pilot programme was conducted over six months (January 2012-June 2012). This programme involved junior and senior doctors including consultants although multidisciplinary groups were invited to attend. We investigated PSI rate/1000 hospital admissions for trauma and elective surgery, which were collected prospectively and independently between Jan 2011 to June 2013. We noted if the incident was caused by a medical or a nursing error and compared PSI rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rates of PSI (33/1000) were 7.8 times higher in trauma cases (80.2/1000) than in elective admissions (11.2/1000). There was 18% reduction in trauma and 27% reduction in planned elective admissions. The rate increased after the pilot programme finished but there was still a 7% reduction compared to the pre-pilot period. This study found a significant reduction in the PSI rate for medical error but no change in the rate of nursing error.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This continuous reflection, education and action process, where safety events are reviewed as a part of the extended morbidity and mortality meeting, is associated with reduction of patient safety incidents. We recommend that PSI reflection should be introduced in Mortality and Morbidity meetings with mandated attendance of the entire multidisciplinary health care team.
authors: Saurabh
authors: S
authors: Mehta
authors: Harvinder Pal
authors: HP
authors: Singh
authors: Joseph J
authors: JJ
authors: Dias
mesh_terms: D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Patient safety; education; morbidity and mortality meeting; orthopaedic surgery; patient safety 
  incidents