Quality Improvement Zone

A structured communication method where teams can discuss next steps within their improvement.  It is a 15-minute huddle, led by a consistent person which takes place every week on the same day/time.

After the huddle, an optional further 15 minutes with the team can take place to discuss the data, analysis or PDSAs in more depth.  It is helpful to have attendance once a month by middle and senior managers, which conversations taking place using a coaching approach to discuss improvement work around:

• What was your expectation?
• What was the reality?
• What have you tested?
• What have you learned?
• What is your next step?

The huddle is a communication tool to proactively manage quality and safety within teams, that provides an opportunity to update and discuss information about current improvement work managed within the visual management board.  It engages the whole team and has representation from across the system including, for example: managers, improvement advisors, finance and multi-disciplinary team members.

The huddle shares:

• What has been tested
• What has been learned
• Celebrations for the improvement work
• Planned next steps

The huddles should follow a standard agenda, and you can use a script in the initial stages to structure the conversation.  The total time of the huddle is 15 mins.  10 mins to discuss last week’s data and the improvement work, with 5 mins for questions and discussion at the end, whilst huddling around a visual management board.

When facilitating the huddle, the team lead starts the huddle, by thanking everyone for attending and indicate that the huddle will last no more than 15 minutes, which includes 10 minutes to discuss last week’s data and improvement work, with 5 minutes for questions and discussion.

The lead will then provide an update on each group of measures and discuss variation within the data and any agreed follow-up actions.  The next step is to review areas for improvement and the lead should hand over to the lead person for the topic being discussed, where updates on the run chart, pareto chart and what learning has been gained from PDSA’s and ask if anyone has any questions or comments.  These steps would be repeated until all areas for improvement have been covered.

The team lead should then summarise any follow up or next step items regarding measures, pareto charts or PDSA’s, highlight/celebrate any areas of work that has not been discussed, then conclude the huddle by thanking everyone for attending.