Twice-Daily Huddles Improves Collaborative Problem Solving in the Respiratory Care Department

Abstract

Background: Lean Six Sigma processes are used in health care systems to increase safety and efficiency. Daily huddles, one tool of the Lean Six Sigma process, have been used to increase patient safety, facilitate efficiency in problem solving, promote optimal patient outcomes, and reduce poor communication. Huddle utilization by respiratory care departments has not been previously reported. We describe our process of implementing daily huddles and the impact on departmental problem solving.

Method: A descriptive study of a quality improvement intervention and a retrospective study of prospectively collected data were performed. The respiratory care department was trained in the utilization of a daily huddle process to resolve issues and identify process improvement opportunities. Huddles were performed at the beginning of each shift. Process improvement opportunities were raised by the respiratory therapy staff using the following categories: Safety/Service, Methods, Equipment, Supplies, and Associates. Opportunities were placed within 3 categories; quick hits (resolution in 1-3 d), complex problems (resolution in 3-7 d), and projects (resolution in > 7 d). All opportunities included a problem statement, an immediate countermeasure, a problem leader, and a due date. Items requiring interdisciplinary support were escalated to the organizational patient care services huddle. We evaluated the number and nature of process improvement opportunities raised in huddles from January 1 through December 31, 2018, to better understand the impact of daily huddles.

Results: A total of 366 process improvement opportunities were raised during huddles. Of those, 245 (67%) were quick hits, 77 (21%) were complex, and 44 (12%) were projects. Resolution of 174 (47.5%) opportunities was completed using only the resources of the respiratory care department, and 157 (43%) were resolved with additional interdisciplinary involvement. A small portion 35 (9.5%) of opportunities required escalation to the organizational multidisciplinary huddle for resolution. All process improvement opportunities were resolved at the end of the study period (mean ± SD of 30.5 ± 7.7 per month).

Conclusions: Twice-daily huddles implemented by our respiratory care department allowed for identification and timely resolution of process improvement opportunities.

Keywords: Lean processes; communication; efficiency; huddles; problem solving; process improvement; respiratory care; transparency.