Patient Safety Huddles to Improve Teamwork and Communication: Frontline Staff Perspectives

The Patient Safety Huddle (PSH) is a daily brief multidisciplinary meeting to discuss patient safety threats and actions to mitigate risk. This paper reports on frontline staff perspectives from five UK hospitals across three National Health Service (NHS) trusts (provider organizations) on the impact of PSHs on communication and teamwork. Perspectives were collected at two points– before and after PSHs had been embedded.Frontline teams from 25 wards were invited to complete a paper-based Evaluation Survey. In the first survey, 21 wards participated, generating 137 responses, and in the second survey, five wards participated, eliciting 32 responses. Additional group interviews with five ward teams were conducted (n=19 participants).PSHs improved teamwork and communication, both in terms of quality and quantity. The evaluation survey reported improved teamwork (108/137 answered positively) and communication (121/137). In facilitating a non-hierarchical, easily accessible, and fear-free space for discussing patients at risk of harm, the PSH was perceived as engendering a supportive environment for all staff and contributing to an enhanced safety culture.Patient Safety Huddles – at both pre and post-embedded stages - were perceived as improving communication and teamwork, resulting in a safe and collegiate environment that facilitates successful information sharing, improved multidisciplinary working, and the development of collective situational awareness. These factors may contribute to enhanced patient safety and quality of care.