Journals Information
Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 6(3), pp. 153 - 160
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2018.060304
Reprint (PDF) (157Kb)
Assessment of the Daily Safety and Operations Huddle of a Pharmacy Department
Kenneth M Komorny 1,*, Amy Rosenberg 1, Emily McCleary 2
1 Department of Pharmacy, UF Health Shands, Gainesville, 32610, Florida, United States
2 University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, Lexington Kentucky, 40536, United States
ABSTRACT
A daily huddle was tested in an academic medical center pharmacy department to see if it resulted in a positive impact on the safety culture and communication. The huddle is a short daily briefing conducted at shift change in a main pharmacy area with a dial in number for those not present in the main pharmacy area. The purpose of the huddle is to raise awareness of any current safety or operational issues. The effectiveness of the huddle was primarily tested through a targeted survey and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Culture Survey results. A survey evaluating daily huddle effectiveness had a 24% response rate. The majority of respondents indicated positive feelings towards the huddle: 58.7% indicated effective communication of information between shifts, 67% indicated effective communication of safety events, and 63% indicated effective communication of daily operational issues. Additionally, the department's AHRQ Patient Safety Culture Survey results improved following the huddle implementation. Departmental staff gave their work unit an overall safety score of the top possible answer, excellent, (vs. very good, acceptable, poor, failing) 11% of the time before the huddle began. Eight months after the huddle started, the number of respondents answering with the top possible score increased to 23% (p<0.05). This positive impact sustained to the next year as well (25% top possible score). Additional positive results are discussed. Implementation of a safety huddle positively influenced measures of communication and safety culture in the Department of Pharmacy Services.
KEYWORDS
Daily Briefing, Huddle, Safety Culture
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Kenneth M Komorny , Amy Rosenberg , Emily McCleary , "Assessment of the Daily Safety and Operations Huddle of a Pharmacy Department," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 153 - 160, 2018. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2018.060304.
(b). APA Format:
Kenneth M Komorny , Amy Rosenberg , Emily McCleary (2018). Assessment of the Daily Safety and Operations Huddle of a Pharmacy Department. Universal Journal of Public Health, 6(3), 153 - 160. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2018.060304.