Monitoring and Modifying the Plan: Huddle

The Huddle is a tool for communicating adjustments to a care plan that is already in place. When a plan is or has to be altered due to changes in the patient’s condition or team membership, or the current plan is not working, either the designated leader or a situational leader should convene a huddle.

Any team member who observes changes that may require adjustments to the care plan can convene a huddle. For example, in an outpatient setting, a sudden increase in the activity levels of the entire team or an individual team member may signal the need to reevaluate and redistribute workload. When leading teams, it is important to quickly and effectively communicate changes so that team members all know the updated plan for providing safe care to the patient.

The teams should receive updates as often as needed. Often, the designated team leader is managing multiple patients simultaneously and is relying on other team members to provide vital information about the patient’s status and how the established care plan is working. Important updates, such as these, can be provided during huddles.