Sustaining the commitment to patient safety huddles: insights from eight acute hospital ward teams

Abstract

Background: A recent initiative in hospital settings is the patient safety huddle (PSH): a brief multidisciplinary meeting held to highlight patient safety issues and actions to mitigate identified risks.

Aim: The authors studied eight ward teams that had sustained PSHs for over 2 years in order to identify key contributory factors.

Methods: Unannounced observations of the PSH on eight acute wards in one UK hospital were undertaken. Interviews and focus groups were also conducted. These were recorded and transcribed for framework analysis.

Findings: A range of factors contributes to the sustainability of the PSH including a high degree of belief and consensus in purpose, adaptability, determination, multidisciplinary team involvement, a non-judgemental space, committed leadership and consistent reward and celebration.

Conclusion: The huddles studied have developed and been shaped over time through a process of trial and error, and persistence. Overall this study offers insights into the factors that contribute to this sustainability.

Keywords: Hospital wards; Multidisciplinary team working; Patient safety; Patient safety huddle.