Safety huddle in healthcare settings: a concept analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety Research
• Organizational Behavior in Medicine

Background:

• Safety huddles are brief, interdisciplinary meetings for proactive risk mitigation in healthcare.
• Despite benefits, inconsistent definitions and implementation hinder standardization.
• This study aims to clarify the concept of safety huddles via concept analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and delineate the core attributes, antecedents, and consequences of safety huddles.
• To identify contextual variations influencing safety huddle implementation.
• To provide a foundational model for advancing safety huddle research and practice.

Main Methods:

• Employed Rodgers and Knafl's evolutionary concept analysis methodology.
• Conducted a systematic literature search across CINAHL, Medline, and PubMed (2013-2025).
• Analyzed data from 32 relevant studies to define concept elements.

Main Results:

• Identified five core attributes: structured communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, time-bound design, proactive risk prediction, and contextual adaptability.
• Key antecedents include leadership support, psychological safety, and resources.
• Consequences involve enhanced teamwork, situational awareness, and safety culture; challenges include inconsistent participation.

Conclusions:

• Safety huddles are dynamic interventions with potential to reduce errors and foster collaboration.
• Conceptual inconsistencies and methodological gaps limit generalizability.
• Standardized frameworks, leadership training, and policy reform are needed to optimize efficacy.