Alphabetical prejudice in team discussions (or would Zebedee ever get seen on a ward round).

Abstract

To ascertain whether the order in which patients are discussed in a team meeting determines the time spent on discussion. Prospective study over 18 consecutive multidisciplinary team meetings. Multidisciplinary team meetings on a Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit, Edinburgh. Time spent discussing each case. Patients discussed early on received 3-4 minutes more discussion time than those later on. This was highly significant on a one-way analysis of variance (P < 0.001). Preferential treatment of patients who come at the start of the team meeting is a real phenomenon. Such alphabetical prejudice, where it exists, should be addressed.