The Effect of a Brief Medical Huddle on Patient and Family Experience During Rounds

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Hospital Communication Strategies
• Patient and Family Experience

Background:

• Previous studies on patient- and family-centered rounds (PFCR) yielded mixed results regarding family satisfaction.
• Limited data exist on hybrid rounding models and their impact on communication.
• Parental interest in participation was an early focus, but satisfaction with communication needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a standardized interdisciplinary medical huddle preceding PFCR.
• To assess the effect on patient and family satisfaction with communication during rounds.
• To measure changes in the overall patient and family experience on rounds.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design compared family experience before and after implementing a medical huddle.
• Family experience was measured using a 5-question Likert scale survey.
• The study compared pre-intervention (2017) and post-intervention (2021) periods for hospitalized children.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in doctors using understandable language (P=.005) and addressing concerns (P=.009).
• Overall "top box" satisfaction increased from 56% to 76% (P<.001).
• Average rounding time increased from 13.9 to 17.6 minutes (P<.001).

Conclusions:

• A prerounds medical huddle is associated with enhanced family experience in general inpatient settings.
• Improved team understanding and communication planning likely contributed to better family satisfaction.
• This strategy offers a valuable approach to optimizing communication during pediatric hospital rounds.