Daily communication in morning huddles is key to a productive and profitable practice, and is the most important communication of the day. A well-orchestrated morning huddle can add to your bottom line and ensure that the team receives consistent bonuses. How? By adding more revenue through creating opportunities or preventing missed ones.
Posted in Risk Management on Wednesday, May 17, 2017
The huddle should be no more than 5–15 minutes each morning, and the shorter the better. This brief get together should take place prior to seeing any patients, in an area that is convenient for the team and away from any early arriving patients. The doctor(s) should be present for the huddle as they can set the (positive) tone for the entire day.
From an Efficiency Perspective:
Review:
- The previous day: what went well and what did not
- Current day’s staffing schedule and any last minute changes:
- who is in, who is out or will be out
- extra time needed for by any individual for a meeting or personal event
- external factors such as weather delays
- Schedule for chronic no-shows so they can be anticipated
Announce:
- Equipment malfunctions or upgrades
- Improvements to data monitoring, if applicable
- Scheduled drug rep visits
From a Patient Safety Perspective:
Review:
- Issues regarding patient situations and negative feedback from the previous day
- Scheduled openings for emergencies or unscheduled visits including when they are available and with which staff members
- Overbooked or double-booked areas (providers and times)
- Patient list for the day from the perspective of patients who may need extra time, assistance due to age, disability, personality or language/cultural barrier
- Issues with third parties (slow lab responses, other healthcare provider reports, etc.)
For some additional resources on the value of the morning huddle, review this resource from Dental Economics: