Impact of poor internal communication in a hospital

• Patient safety experts like CRICO have identified at least 7000 of 23,000 medical malpractice lawsuits has having been caused due to communication errors in relaying patient data.
• Similarly, the Doctor's Company has identified that 27% of the malpractice claims between 2012-2016 were attributed to communication errors.
• Nearly 32% of the nursing cases and 25% of the surgery cases were caused due to lapses in communication in patient care.
• The total price paid by hospitals to settle the malpractice claims were roughly $1.7 billion, according to CRICO.

Factors that cause communication errors in a hospital

• Work pressure - Excessive workloads on nursing staff may lead to their forgetfulness or lapse in communicating patient information to physicians or vice versa.
• Malfunctioning EHR system - System errors in the ER system may result in the patient's records not being updated and remaining current.
• Poor work culture - Lack of work discipline may lead to inadequate work proficiency or medical expertise, irregular follow-ups on instructions, inordinate delay in response etc. which may prove costly for both the hospital and patient.
• Distractions - Usage of mobile devices during work hours may cause the hospital staff to get distracted and cause communication errors with serious consequences.
• Assumptions due to familiarity - Hospital staff may assume certain factors with known persons and this may cause big lapses in communication.
• Complexity in information interchange - A patient's condition is ascertained only after consultation by multiple health specialists like an anaesthesiologist, cardiologist etc. This complex information interchange may have some lapses in communication.

Ways to address the communication errors in a hospital

• Increasing the transparency in the exchange of information
• Setting roles and objectives for each department and ensuring complete coordination between them
• Demarcating clear lines of responsibility among the staff and ensuring their ownership of the communication
• Providing  professional hospital  staff training using expert healthcare HR management with emphasis on communication
• Advocating strict work culture with no distractions
• Ensuring regular maintenance of hospital's EHR records and communication, lab and diagnostic equipment
• Providing checkpoints for the communication to be verified
• Administering constant evaluation of verbal and written communication to avoid any lapses
• Performing periodic communication audits using a hospital consulting firm to ensure that no communication errors exist.

Role of a hospital consulting firm in minimizing communication errors in a hospital

• Offer an assessment view of the present communication scenario in the hospital
• Identify the grey areas where problems lie
• Offer immediate solutions and help in their execution
• Prepare a communication blueprint for the hospital
• Impart professional hospital staff training with special focus on communication
• Audit and review the communication channels periodically.

A Hospital is the "Mecca of Medicine"- a veritable sacred ground where battles are fought every day against disease. Every day, doctors, surgeons, nurses, radiologists and a host of other hospital staff render yeomen service in saving hundreds of lives. Yet sometimes it's ironic how some hospitals are not able to gain the due recognition for their contributions to the world of healthcare. Why so? This is because of the flaws in their external communication which can be corrected only by an able healthcare consulting firm.
External Communication is the "image that the hospital portrays to the world".  It is the message that people derive from print, social and digital media about the hospital. A hospital's reputation, stature, social and business standing and professional competence - all depends on its external communication. This is why external communication is pivotal for the hospital’s functionality.

1. The hospital's brand reputation relies on its external communication.
2. It nurtures trust in the minds of the people, patients and the media.
3. Even government and policy-makers rely on the hospital's external communication.
4. It reinforces the stakeholders' trust in the hospital.
5. It silences unwanted rumours or false propaganda against the hospital.
6. It handles the Public Relations and furnishes the right information to the media
7. It manages the online reputation of the hospital by responding to negative feedback and taking immediate remedial measures.
8. It acts as the "Voice of the hospital" in the outside world.