Preparing the Prepared: Crisis Communication in Healthcare

Crisis communication is an integral part of any business, but in the healthcare industry, it is an especially important piece of a very large puzzle. In healthcare, things can fall apart at a moment's notice, and it’s the job of the crisis communication specialist to have a plan in place for almost any situation. 

What is Crisis Communication?

Crisis communication is the strategically planned approach to resolving an issue within a business or organization. It also involves any outreach that may be necessary to keep the public informed about the happenings to resolve the crisis. Having crisis communication in place within a company can help quicken the resolution of crises and protect a company’s reputation during and after the crisis.

Types of Crises in Healthcare

The healthcare industry has many parts, more than most people probably realize, meaning there is a lot of room for error and miscommunication. When serious enough, these errors can become crises. Because there are so many parts of healthcare, many types of crises can occur and require a specific plan in place. Some of the more common types of crises within healthcare include public health issues (communicable diseases, mass-casualty events), cybersecurity issues (unauthorized medical record access, impacts on patient care devices), and administrative issues (mergers, poor quality ratings). 

Stages of Crisis Communication

1. The Pre-Plan

Stage one of crisis communication is to have a plan set in place before any crises have occurred. This includes identifying potential issues within a hospital or healthcare system and forming plans for their resolutions before ever being faced with the issue. It is also beneficial to have the roles of the crisis communications team established prior to the crisis so that immediate action can be taken when a crisis occurs

2. Risk Monitoring

Stage two is to closely monitor the happenings within a hospital or healthcare system in order to detect crises early. Using monitoring systems to track activity in the organization can help identify discrepancies in the technology being used or even in identifying patterns in patient diagnoses that could be dangerous.

3. Crisis Identification

Stage three involves the occurrence of a crisis. Once the crisis is identified, it can be assessed to determine what action plan will be most beneficial. Using the pre-plan that was developed in the first stage, crisis communications teams can evaluate the scope and severity of a crisis and establish a finalized plan for eradicating the crisis at hand.

4. Crisis Response

Stage four is where the crisis plan is put into action. Measures are taken to resolve the crisis such as communication with affected patients, communication with the media, and instruction on the next steps for staff. This stage has the potential to make a crisis much easier to navigate if communication is done well. Providing one stream of communication and keeping everyone on the same page can reduce panic and make the situation much more manageable. 

5. Recovery and Evaluation

The final stage occurs post-crisis. Once the crisis has subsided, recovery will need to be done to clear up why or how any errors occurred that led to the crisis in the first place. This stage will likely include further communication with those affected and with the media in order to reestablish the reputation of the hospital or healthcare system. Additionally, there will need to be an evaluation among the crisis communication team to determine how the crisis was handled and what could be improved when the next crisis occurs. 

Final Thoughts

Crisis communication is an integral part of keeping the healthcare industry afloat in such difficult times. In such a large industry, it’s important to keep all parties informed, especially in times of crisis. Not only does it allow for smoother recovery from a crisis, but it also can help prevent future crises from occurring.

About Layla

Layla is a senior at Grand Valley majoring in Health Communication and minoring in Advertising and Public Relations. This is her first year with GrandPR and she will be taking on the role of Account Associate. After graduation, Layla hopes to attend graduate school in North Carolina to pursue a Masters of Health Administration.