University Hospitals' nurses take innovative approach to make daily huddles more efficient

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In an innovative approach to improving the efficiency of daily safety huddles, University Hospitals' (UH) nurses are collaborating with Edgility, Inc. to bring AI into the huddle process.

"The integration of AI into our safety huddle design is a major step forward in our commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients," said Jason M. Pirtz, MBA, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Academic Market, UH Cleveland Medical Center. "We believe this technology will help us identify and mitigate risks more effectively, leading to improved patient outcomes."

Known as EdgeHuddle, the technology automates the collection and analysis of data from various sources, including electronic health records and medical devices. It identifies patterns and trends related to patient safety.

“Designing technology directly with the end user eliminates organizational waste and decreases technology burden,” said Jennifer Gonzalez, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, Clinical Nurse Specialist, UH Cleveland Medical Center. “Using a human-centered approach, we were able to identify the pain points in the huddle process and co-design the tool with the Edgility team to address those points. This collaboration has allowed us to solidify a framework for implementing nurse led innovation, using our organization’s nursing governance councils.”

“The action-oriented lens supports our Zero Harm goals by providing a summary level view of Safety and Zero Harm risks for use during our organizational Tiered Safety Huddles,” stated Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, UH Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer, Veale Distinguished Chair in Leadership and Clinical Transformation. “Displaying this clinical data for our entire health system will provide efficiency in our current quality and safety monitoring processes, allowing staff to intervene to prevent harm. This is a big advance on our journey to Zero Harm.”

"Perhaps most importantly, EdgeHuddle provides our teams with ‘levers of action.’ We have not only identified patients' needs, we know the actions to take," said Kristina Mattmuller, BSN, RN and Delia McDermott, BSN, RN, co-chairs of Nursing Work Environment Council, UH Cleveland Medical Center. "The technology provides real-time risk assessment and prediction.”

"I wish I had something like this when I was practicing at the bedside or in my roles as VP Quality/Risk Management or as a CNO,” said Joy McFate, RN, BSN, MHA, Edgility Outcomes Director. It’s a game changer."

EdgeHuddle digitizes the huddle process by automating data collection and creating data-driven insights into an actionable format, from the bedside to the system level. EdgeHuddle allows hospitals to synchronize the flow of information between all layers and tiers of a health system.

About Edgility, Inc.

Since 2016, Edgility has provided health systems with a platform for operational intelligence to relieve care teams of administrative burden and improve the patient experience while reducing operating costs. Edgility's AI-based platform seamlessly integrates with existing systems and technology investments to orchestrate operational processes so providers can focus on patient care. Edgility has partnered with health systems nationwide to help tackle its most significant operational challenges. For more, visit www.edgilityhealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 21 hospitals (including five joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Oxford University and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.