Morbidity and Mortality meetings
Morbidity and Mortality meetings (M&Ms) or clinical review meetings allow departments/ specialties/ facilities to review the quality of the care that is being provided to their patients.
M&Ms are a key opportunity for clinical staff to engage in the processes of patient safety and quality improvement and therefore represent an important opportunity for education regarding these processes as well as for senior staff to model appropriate professional behaviour.
Supporting M&Ms
Guidelines
The updated (2020) M&M guidelines reflect contemporary safety and quality principles and are guided by human factors science to support robust processes that improve learning and system improvement. The guidelines identify the following six core guiding principles with both minimum and gold standard requirements to meet for each principle.
 | Safe place for learning Discussion are blame free with a focus on education |
 | Multidisciplinary Enhancing active participation across the disciplines |
 | Meeting framework Systematic agenda selection process with support from clinical analytics |
 | Comprehensive discussions To generate actionable learning and/or system improvement |
 | Lessons learned Documentation of lessons learned and dissemination of recommendations to ensure action |
 | Governance Pathways for reporting to support learning and recommendations |
Guidelines for Conducting Clinical Reviews and Morbidity & Mortality Meetings
Download PDF ~1.5MB
Appendices
- Appendix A: Example of M&M/clinical review meeting terms of reference
- Appendix B: Example of Morbidity and Mortality meeting report
- Appendix C: Example of Quarterly Morbidity and Mortality summary report
- Appendix D: Cognitive autopsy guideline
A M&M module has been developed in the Quality Improvement Data Systems (QIDS) platform to support your local implementation.
M&M modules, developed in partnership with Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), are available on HETI My Health Learning. Discover the My Health Learning Morbidity and Mortality Meetings Learning Path by searching for course code 485627051.
- Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Meeting - Preparation and Planning (Course code: 130323)
- Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Meeting - Facilitation and Psychological Safety (Course code: 476703002)
If you have any further questions in relation to the guidelines, contact Debbie Draybi.
Supporting resources
Guiding principles - Morbidity & Mortality Meetings
Download PDF ~312KB
Cue card for presenters - Morbidity & Mortality Meetings
Download PDF ~312KB
Checklist for chairs - Morbidity & Mortality Meetings
Download PDF ~102KB
Editable paediatrics report template - Morbidity & Mortality Meetings
Download Word Document ~36KBDownload PDF ~144KB