Gaps in communication could mean not everyone is receiving emergency alerts
Hospitals and healthcare facilities depend on fast and efficient communication methods during emergencies to keep their staff informed, as well to communicate with patients, contractors and other visitors on-site. The survey reveals that email is the most commonly used channel for communication during a variety of situations, from workplace emergencies to finding shift coverage. Hospitals and healthcare facilities also use different methods of communication, including mass text messaging and phone tree/automated voicemail, when they connect with on-site employees.
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However, communication methods vary widely when respondents share information with hospital visitors and traveling employees. Organizations mostly communicate with visitors using digital signage (64 percent), intercom communication systems/building alarms (29 percent), and email (19 percent). For traveling employees, such as those in a satellite clinic or a patient's home, only 51 percent of organizations are sharing information with them through text message and 49 percent through automated voicemails or phone trees.
"Healthcare systems are growing at an unprecedented rate and are expanding beyond hospital settings to include clinics, specialty facilities and administrative offices – something we haven't dealt with previously," said Patrick Turek, system director of emergency management at Hartford HealthCare in Hartford, Conn. "We now have hundreds of different departments and a mobile workforce that is moving to various sites throughout our system. They expect that their emergency communications are uniform and on their device of choice, regardless of where they are located."
The high frequency of weather events is putting a strain on healthcare organizations resources
As serious weather-related incidents, such as hurricanes, tornados, flooding and wildfires, continue to rise, hospitals and healthcare facilities must have procedures in place to keep their communities safe. More than half of respondents said they experienced a serious weather incident within the last two years, yet 51 percent reported their facilities have gone over a year without testing their weather-related emergency plans. This is contrary to the recommended twice-a-year testing by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Survey Results Revealed in Oct. 25 Webinar
