Healthcare Communications and Declining Patient Satisfaction
by Momina Hanan, Associate Consultant MadlinHanna Consulting
The outbreak of COVID-19 saw a widespread decline in patient satisfaction within the healthcare sector, as reported by the NIHR. At a time when communication couldn’t be more vital to the lives of millions, where did the healthcare PR sector go?
Expectation
Julia Bainbridge of Freuds, clearly sets the tone of the attitudes of the healthcare PR sector by identifying the current challenge; “…the need to keep pace with public expectations and needs but set against the inability of health institutions to be able to move quickly.” There seemed to be a huge disconnect between what needed to be said and what was said, but this hadn’t always been the case. The development of the COVID-19 vaccine and its rollout married perfectly with communication efforts – therefore it is very much possible to achieve a strong sense of patient representation and advocacy through PR.
Access to information
The public hunger for health news and data also cannot be ignored. Patients are essentially begging to be kept informed as health writer Danny Buckland says to the PR industry, “you really have an open door.” So why does it feel slammed shut on both sides? Rose Williams speaks of misinformation coming from both the professionals and the internet but both having different intentions. Misinformation from the communications industry wasn’t malicious compared to that online, there simply wasn’t the data available to confidently inform the general public.
Analysis
Those at Nuffield Trust pivoted their focus from restructuring NHS health systems and international comparisons of such, to data analysis of COVID deaths. It wasn’t till after the first wave that the point of conversation was on recovery of hospitals and the effect of the Social Distancing Act. It took seasoned professionals from May onwards to understand what exactly needed to be the focus for analysis, therefore, to what extent is the comms industry to blame for being slow to act? I would argue whilst there is no real use in pointing the finger, the importance of speed and adaptability is definitely a learning point.
Thank you to Julia Bainbridge and Rose Williams for their contributions.
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