Source of mortality data for meetings | Departmental database | Inpatient episode data | Inpatient discharge data | Inpatient episode data | Departmental database |
How meetings informed | M&M coordinators extracted cases from database | Hospital intelligence unit notified M&M coordinators | Software programme designed by M&M co-chair | Hospital intelligence unit notified M&M coordinators | M&M coordinators extracted cases from database |
Numbers of cases reviewed | 1–6 | 10–42 | 8–15 | 2–7 | 5–6 |
Criteria for selection | All deaths | All deaths | All deaths | All deaths | ‘Interesting’ cases |
Review process | Standardised mortality review | Standardised mortality review | Departmental structured process | No formalised structure | No formalised structure |
Meeting records | Standardised mortality review and minutes | Standardised mortality process | Excel spreadsheet | Minutes | Minutes |
Issues identified and recorded | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Actions specified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Actions assigned | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Actions followed up at next meeting | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Record circulated | Minutes yes | No | Yes | Available for viewing but not circulated | Available at next meeting |