Implementing An Organisation with a Memory Patient Safety Communications Workshop London, 31 August 2001 Michael Paskavitz & Julian Furbank Communications

Patient Safety Communications Objectives  to understand the role of the Comms function in patient safety;  to appreciate the art of communicating risk and safety through “empathy”;  to feel comfortable with the Comms tool;  to engage Comms leads in patient safety

Patient Safety Communications Why are you here today?  because at least one in twenty NHS patients experience an adverse incident; and  in almost 50% of adverse incidents, root cause analysis reveals failure and breakdown in communications.

Patient Safety Communications Perceptions and Expectations  By focussing on patient safety, we are offering a perception that NHS care is unsafe and an expectation that future care will become demonstrably safer.  We must ensure that all stakeholders – including managers, clinicians, patients and carers - are confident that we will learn from adverse events

Patient Safety Communications Empathising with Stakeholders  To make stakeholders feel confident, two things have to happen:  First, you must understand what concerns and motivates each stakeholder group, since that drives confidence.  Next, you must determine what information surrounding an adverse event is relevant to individual stakeholder groups. You must interpret patient safety information for your stakeholders.

Patient Safety Communications Reactive and Proactive Communications  Communication related to patient safety has two critical functions:  Reactive communication (communicating risk) helps organisations respond to and learn from adverse events.  Proactive communication (communicating safety) helps shape perceptions and change behaviour so that that the risk of future incident is reduced

Patient Safety Communications Reactive Communication  All NHS organisations need a flexible, efficient, and responsive process of reactive communication to help minimise the impact of an adverse incident

Patient Safety Communications Proactive Communication  Whilst minimising the impact of real adverse events is critical, we can not wait until such incidents happen to begin communicating.  To help shape perceptions and change behaviour, we need consistent focused messages that inspire stakeholder confidence and facilitate learning by all.

Patient Safety Communications How can this be achieved?  Through a stakeholder-specific approach to inspiring confidence and facilitating learning.

Patient Safety Communications Who are the Comms stakeholders?  CEOs, Board members, directors, managers, risk managers, all healthcare professionals and frontline staff, DH/NHS bodies (NHSLA, CHI, NCAA, IIU, HSE, MDA, etc.), the media, local communities, and patients and carers etc.  Each stakeholder must have its own unique proactive and reactive comms approach.

Patient Safety Communications Avoiding Information Overload  Information overload is a barrier to success. Stakeholders receive too much information and not enough context to allow for learning.  For example, of the 70-plus pages in the Nottingham Inquiry Report, what are the key messages for individual stakeholder groups – to a doctor? A Chief Exec?

Patient Safety Communications Exercise 1 – the empathy exercise  You may have up to 20 stakeholders with whom you must communicate when an adverse incident occurs.  Using the form provided, answer:  Who are your stakeholders?  What keeps each of them awake at night?  What are their priorities?  What’s the best way to contact them?

Patient Safety Communications Exercise 2 – Communicating Risk  When an adverse incident occurs, it is imperative that you communicate quickly and effectively with the stakeholders involved. You are managing potentially damaging perceptions.  Using the Comms tool, your “empathy” profiles, and the anonymised case study provided, proceed through a mock communication exercise.  Make stakeholders confident that your organisation is doing the right things and the right things right.

Patient Safety Communications Exercise 3 – Communicating Safety  When an organisation can demonstrably show that it has learned from an adverse incident, there is a very real internal and external PR opportunity. You can communicate safety.  Using the Comms tool, your “empathy” profiles, and the Nottingham Inquiry, interpret and communicate what is relevant to your stakeholders. Make them feel confident in your organisation.

Patient Safety Communications Conclusions  Patient safety communication is a process, not an event.  Poor communication damages patients.  Stakeholders are your customers.  Context is more important than content.  Comms can be the voice of reason.