Table 1.

Characteristics of Morbidity and Mortality Conferences

	Percent of Conferences
Frequency (N = 264)*
Monthly	69†
More often	22
Less often	8
Leadership (N = 258)
Chief resident	36
Program director	14
Chief of medicine	14
Faculty member	14
Other	22
Audience (N = 264)
House staff	99‡
Attendings	95
Students	88
PAs or NPs	20
Nurses	12
Case presenter (N = 209)
House officer	43
Moderator	21
Chief resident	10
Attending of record	2
Other	23
Case selection (N = 264)
Unexpected mortality	27
Unexpected morbidity	20
Likelihood of error	13
Other	34
Conference is part of QA program (N = 254)	69

M&MC, morbidity and mortality conference; PA, physician's assistant; NP, nurse practitioner; QA, quality assurance.

^*N = the number of respondents answering the question. Reasons for differences are discussed in the text.

^†Percents were expected to add up to 100 except for Audience; when they do not, it is due to missing data or to rounding.

^‡These numbers represent the percent of programs that stated such individuals attended their M&MC.