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Elephant Rounds: a structured multi-disciplinary huddle to operationalise systems thinking in infection prevention
1Specialty Internal Medicine and Quality Patient Safety Department, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD United States.
Background:
Healthcare-associated infections often arise from interacting system-level factors rather than isolated events. Conventional infection prevention and control (IPC) round frequently assess risks within disciplinary silos, limiting the integration of signals across teams.
Objective:
To propose 'Elephant Rounds', a brief, structured multi-disciplinary huddle designed to synthesise IPC signals and support real-time systems thinking.
Methods:
The model incorporates cross-disciplinary inputs, structured synthesis, and agreed actions with defined ownership. A hypothetical application to an increase in central line-associated bloodstream infections illustrates the use of the model.
Results:
Elephant Rounds may improve situational awareness by linking microbiology, bedside care, device management, environmental factors, and workflow issues in a single forum. The model may also strengthen interdisciplinary alignment, reduce fragmented interpretation of IPC data, and promote more coherent and timely responses to evolving infection signals.
Conclusion:
This pragmatic approach may strengthen interdisciplinary alignment, enhance situational awareness, and support more coherent IPC decision-making.
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