"Morbidity and mortality" - or M&M - conferences emerged in the early 20th century as a way for physicians to review cases that had gone wrong behind closed doors, away from patients and families.
In the medical world, surgery M&Ms are especially known for their confrontations, as more experienced surgeons often browbeat younger doctors into admitting their errors and promising to never make them again.
In time, these conferences have largely been abandoned for a "systems approach" to medical errors, where the idea is to look at the root causes of errors and to devise systems to prevent them.
Medical professionals have argued that elaborate systems for preventing errors can at times interfere with getting things done in the hospital. Meanwhile, a 1999 study reported that medical errors killed close to 100,000 Americans annually. Read the full details here:
The 'Monday Morning' Medical Screaming Match
Medical malpractice, wrongful death, failure to diagnose and medication errors occur thousands of times a year and are hidden in mortality and morbidity conferences. Laws in many states allow physicians to discuss these cases amongst themselves, while continuing to conceal information from patients and their families.
If you or a family member believe you have a medical malpractice case, contact Crandall & Pera Law today for a free case evaluation.