Resident Safety Huddles: Our Department's Experience in Improving Safety Culture

• Published in: The Laryngoscope 2021-06, Vol.131 (6), p.E1811-E1815
• Main Authors: Poonia, Seerat K., Prasad, Aman, Chorath, Kevin, Cannady, Steven B., Kearney, James, Ruckenstein, Michael, Rajasekaran, Karthik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Curricula; education; Industrial safety; Laryngoscopy; Otolaryngology; Patient safety; Quality control; quality improvement; safety culture; surgical resident
• ISSN: 0023-852X; 1531-4995
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.29384

Objective/Hypothesis Our department sought to develop a quality improvement initiative in the interest of promoting resident involvement within the departmental safety culture. Specifically, we aimed to identify any barriers to incident reporting among residents and to create an approach to rectify this problem. Study Design Patient Safety/Quality Improvement. Methods This is a descriptive, qualitative study taking place at a large teaching hospital. A brief survey was administered to all Otorhinolaryngology residents and based on feedback a two‐pronged approach to creating a patient safety and quality improvement curriculum was undertaken. This entailed implementation of 1) a formalized online curriculum and 2) a resident‐driven forum for discussion of safety concerns termed a “Resident Safety Huddle.” Results The survey identified three main barriers to incident reporting among residents, including increased workload, the punitive nature of the system, and fear of retribution. During the study period, the residents completed the curriculum required to obtain the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Basic Certificate of Quality and Safety and participated in 10 Resident Safety Huddles. Each huddle was dedicated to discussion of a unique safety concern and frequently led to sustainable solutions. After implementation of this curriculum, an increase in the number of safety events reported by residents was recognized. Conclusions In building an educational foundation for incident reporting and further bolstering it with a resident‐driven forum for discussion of safety concerns, we were able to achieve a recognizable and meaningful impact on our residents and the greater departmental safety culture. Level of Evidence 4 (single descriptive or qualitative study) Laryngoscope, 131:E1811–E1815, 2021