Assessing the Value of Huddle Implementation in the Perioperative Setting

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Services

Background:

• Effective communication is critical in perioperative settings for patient safety and team performance.
• Communication breakdowns in interdisciplinary teams can lead to errors and reduced staff satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of instituting perioperative huddles on staff satisfaction, engagement, and communication effectiveness.
• To evaluate the perceived value of huddles by perioperative staff.

Main Methods:

• A process improvement project involving the implementation of perioperative huddles over two months.
• Utilized validated Likert-style surveys to measure satisfaction, engagement, and communication before and after huddle implementation.
• Included an open-ended question in the post-implementation survey for qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Post-implementation surveys indicated increased scores in satisfaction, engagement, and communication effectiveness.
• Participants reported benefits such as timely messaging, efficient information sharing, and enhanced connection with leadership.
• A total of 61 participants completed the pre-survey and 24 completed the post-survey.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative huddles are an effective strategy for improving staff satisfaction, engagement, and communication.
• Regular communication practices like huddles contribute to a more cohesive and effective perioperative team.
• Huddles foster a sense of connection and improve the dissemination of essential information in surgical environments.