When the Patient is a VIP

1. When the Patient is a VIP Talk Trauma 2011

2. What do these people have in common?

3. When the Patient is a VIP • The Role of Corporate Communications • Your Role as Health Care Providers • Rules of Engagement

4. Our Role • PROTECT the reputation of the hospital • PROMOTE the reputation of the hospital

5. Our Role • We act as your gatekeeper • We will provide assistance to patients or families with regards to media relations (signing patient consent forms, getting a spokesperson, advice, etc.) • Make sure patients and their families are aware they have options

6. Anonymous Patient • If the patient/ family do not want to speak with media or have information about their care released patient can be made anonymous BUT: • With social media (Facebook, twitter, youtube) we speak with patient/family about other ways in which patient info is provided by family member, neighbour, school etc. • Social media makes it difficult to control information being released by someone other than hospital

7. Patient agrees to speak with media We will: • Provide patient/family with advice on dealing with the media • Facilitate where and when interview occurs and make sure that media does not disrupt other patients • Ensure that patient consent has occurred and that patient understand that comments and images, once on internet, are beyond control

8. Your Role • Redirect all media inquiries to us • Call us if media show up on hospital property • We are available 24/7!

11. Rules of Engagement • Patient or decision maker have the right to refuse any release of information. • All requests by media must go through the communications department. • Patients/family members must sign a consent form before speaking with media. • Media must be escorted by someone from our department at all times. • All condition updates must go through our department and media are only entitled to a one word condition update.

12. One word condition updates • GOOD – vital signs stable and normal. Indicators are excellent. • FAIR – Vital signs stable and within normal limits. Patient may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable. • SERIOUS – Vital signs unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indictors are unfavorable. • CRITICAL – Vital signs unstable and not within normal limits. Major complications and indicators are unfavorable – death may be imminent. • DEAD – Media are informed of death only after nursing staff confirm family are notified. • DISCHARGED – no other information including date of discharged is to be provided.

13. When we won’t release information • Media does not have name • Name is wrong • Appears to violate a law • Interferes with a police investigation • Likely to have an adverse affect on the patient in the judgment of a physician or other person involved in the direct care of the patient

14. Thank you! Contact LHSC Corporate Communications 519 685-8500 ext. 76760 visit www.lhsc.on.ca