Healthcare huddles and command centers are potent tools for delivering care. However, their function has shifted: huddles have become data reporting rituals and command centers into data showcases.
The innovative models that are emerging today aim to realign this, reshaping these tools to provide optimal value to frontline care teams. The intentional coupling of the command center and the huddle process creates a natural hub-and-spoke operations model that transforms day-to-day frontline operations meaningfully. Edgility's Smart Operations Command Centers integrate into the frontline through existing tiered safety, shift change, interdisciplinary, discharge, and capacity huddles, effectively decentralizing the command center.
Rethinking the Huddle
At the heart of this transformative process is recognizing that huddles must be more than just data reporting mechanisms. New huddle models should save time, reduce costs, and improve patient care. The key to this shift is a reorientation towards action - creating " levers-of-action" that synchronize boardroom-to-bedside objectives and promote accountability.
The EdgeHuddle platform by Edgility, designed by and for the frontline, catalyzes active daily management in healthcare settings. In an eight-hour shift, nurses save an average of 23 minutes each day. Data also show a 37% reduction in hospital-acquired infections and a 78% increase in employee engagement. Based on survey results, the platform increases huddle compliance by 96% and a 13% increase in nursing retention. These outcomes translate into substantial savings in resource costs – over $900,000 for a 400-bed hospital with 10,272 annual discharges.
The EdgeHuddle platform's success is not only due to its technology but also its design. The end users and the design team emphasize that the platform's power lies in its human-centered approach to adoption, which facilitates behavior modification and design-based change management.
Designed by the frontline, for the frontline, with the frontline.
Decentralizing the Command Center
While modernizing the huddle is essential to healthcare transformation, decentralizing command center functions is another critical aspect. Traditionally, command centers have served as centralized hubs for information and decision-making. While this centralized structure has its benefits, it often results in an overemphasis on data showcasing and underutilizes the potential of frontline staff.
Decentralizing command center functions leads to better patient care and greater staff satisfaction as it empowers frontline staff, fosters a culture of responsibility, and facilitates faster, more informed decision-making. It also aligns with the broader trends toward personalized care and patient empowerment.
Going Viral – Power of Technology and Design
The successful implementation of these innovative models largely relies on the effective use of technology and design. As demonstrated by the rapid adoption of EdgeHuddle at University Hospitals - averaging 10,000 interactions a day just a week after the pilot - leaders cannot underestimate the power of design in technology models. This successful implementation and rapid, frictionless adoption is a testament to end-user design overcoming skepticism and improving frontline care.
Conclusion
In the words of Peter J. Pronovost, MD, Ph.D., FCCM, a world-renowned healthcare leader, "For too long, safety has relied on the heroism of clinicians rather than the design of safe systems." Modernizing huddles and decentralizing command centers is critical to creating safer, more efficient healthcare systems. It's a call to action for healthcare institutions to reimagine these tools and optimize their potential to benefit patients and staff.
Innovative models like EdgeHuddle are leading the way, demonstrating the immense value of human-centered design and technology. By fostering accountability, optimizing staffing resources, and increasing nursing retention, these models transform care delivery and set the stage for a more responsive and patient-centric healthcare system. It's high time that we all take notice and embrace this change.