The role of morbidity and mortality meetings in interventional radiology

PURPOSE: To understand the current practice of interventional radiology (IR) morbidity and mortality (M&M) meetings among interventional radiologists in Europe, and to develop a set of results-based recommendations to increase the prevalence of IR M&M meetings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Online electronic surveys were sent to members of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Society of Europe (CIRSE). Each survey consisted of 18 questions pertaining to IR M&M meetings. RESULTS: A total of 150 CIRSE members responded to the survey. Approximately 47% of respondents held IR M&M meetings in their departments. Among those who held IR M&M meetings, 42% held them monthly and 68% rated the quality of the meetings as good or excellent. Of those who did not have M&M meetings, 94% were interested in incorporating M&M meetings into their future practice. The most common reasons for not holding IR M&M meetings were lack of time (68%) and small IR practice groups (43%). A total of 85% were interested in learning more about IR M&M meetings. The preferred method of education about M&M meetings included annual radiology meetings (44%), peer-reviewed articles in radiology journals (31%), websites (26%), and newsletters (15%). CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate that although current practice of M&M meetings in European IR departments is limited, the majority of respondents believe that M&M meetings are beneficial to their practice. There is a need for guidelines or standards of practice to incorporate such meetings in IR departments to prevent medical errors, which may ultimately lead to enhanced patient safety and outcomes.