Whenever threats arises.

IMPORTANT HOSPITAL AREAS FOR MAINTAINING GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS ARE administrative office procedures O.P.D. & emergency waiting time Therapeutic and diagnostic area- x ray lab Supportive services oxygen supply, linen, diet Inpatient areas wards

CATEGORIES OF PUBLIC RELATION IN HOSPITAL

Internal public

Doctors Nurses Technician Ward boys Receptionist Registration clerk Security personnel

Public relatio n
Press radio and TV Police Local health authorities Hospitals patients Relatives Visitors

External public

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE HOSPITALS 1. Service provided by the hospital: If hospital enjoys a good reputation in respect of the services provided by the hospital to the public, i.e. the quality of medical care, it is the single largest factor responsible for the good image of the hospital. 2. Hospital administration must attempt to find out the changing needs and demands of the public, what is there need? What is demand which kind of services? What are the requirements of the people? The services should be provided in the manner, people want to avail them. Survey methods are very important tools to find out the publics expectations. 3. The management should feel social responsibility and should be responsive to the societys needs. 4. The public must have easy access to the information of hospital, many a times people feel that the hospital does not provide the information in the desired manner. The information must be user friendly. In the present information age, the hospital can maintain their websites and all relevant information must be available on the site, and it should be updated in time. 5. Publicity materials and promotional methods should be designed as per the functioning of the hospital. If a facility is not available, right now, it should not be promoted, but it may be published as a future development. 6. The publicity should be relevant, accurate and no exaggeration. 7. The vision, mission and long term goals of the hospital must be published well and projected to the public. Every hospital must have a mission statement, written at the

prominent place of the hospital and must find a place in the house journal and important stationary items of the hospital. 8. The promotional material must be in the current topics as well as on the relevant topics. We should take only on those aspects of care, which we actually provide. Like we talk of telemedicine, and we dont have any such facility. We talk of HIV/AIDS and we dont have counselling centres etc in our hospital, it is of no use. 9. Follow the principle that if the person are honest to the public, the public will reciprocate accordingly. RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC RELATION DEPARTMENT Public relation officer is the executive officer of the public relations. The responsibilities of the public relation department can be enumerated as: To detail the management regarding different viewpoints of the various strata of public. To study the activities of the management and also study the likely impact of the activities taken chance of unfavourable impart, the department will appraise to the management. Collection and analysis of data to improve the communication between hospital and public to conduct opinion polls. To conduct market survey. To develop communication material like, news letter, publications, audio visuals, press releases, health topics feature articles for press. To promote hospitals goals and objectives and direct them to reach specific target populations. Establish channels of communication between public, i.e. internal public and management of the hospitals. Help in fund raising activities for the hospitals. Develop media relation program. To organizes press conferences on important events of the hospitals. To develop liaison with the outside agencies, like universities, clubs, civil administration, transport, catering services, etc. COMMON PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE HOSPITAL The public relation department of the hospital has to face common problems, which are being enumerated as follows:

Indifferent attitude of the workers deputed at sensitive points like reception, registration, enquiry, billing counter, etc. Rough behaviour of staff. Negligent behaviour of hospital staff. Prolonged waiting time. Poor sanitation. Use of influence in getting out of turn work Poor information and guidance mechanism. Non availability of equipments, supplies, machines, gloves, syringes, dressing materials in hospital and asking patient to being these items from market directly. Increased awareness among beneficiaries leads to increased expectations and the hospitals find difficult to meet out the demands. Overcrowding, lack of sitting arrangements, trolleys, stretchers, etc.

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS Communication to the press A prudent administrator must get to know the local press. The local press can be the hospitals principle helper in this regard. A hostile press can do a lot of harm. If an editor understands the hospitals problems, he can help enormously. However sensational reporting cannot always be prevented. In cases, it may be worthwhile to hold a press conference and be frank. When something has gone seriously wrong and consequences may be of legitimate public concern, to await questions and then provide patchy answers is to court disaster. Legitimate information must be volunteered as early as possible. Clearance of all material intended for release must be controlled by the chief of public relations who would consult the concerned departmental chief. The material should be put on a formal and released in a manner calculated to benefit the hospital. Information regarding the condition of hospital. Information regarding the condition of hospital patients, especially VIPs and very serious patients, should be guarded and preferably governed by an approved code. Medical information and information regarding patients

Information concerning the medical staff for release for public consumption, except medical papers for professional publications, is required to be cleared by publics relations. Needless to say, such information and medical facts should be within the ambit of medical ethics. No information regarding patients should be released without the consent of the patient, and the consent should be informed consent. All questions about the hospital its operations and its patients which are likely to be publicly quoted or published must be cleared and replied only by the chief of public relations. Nursing services Whatever may be their physical condition, the psychological needs of patients demand a strong sense of its recognition by nurses. The nursing staff must learn to assess with a refined judgement what the patients needs are without, more often than not, the voluntary declaration of how he or she feels or wants. To this end, the nursing education programme should be able to prepare them adequately for performance of the patient activities related to their cultural bases. The hospital administrator on his part must determine the patient expectations from the hospital, communicate, them effectively to all levels of supervision and through them to the nursing staff for creation of better team spirit. Problems identified through consumer critique can be tackled by managerial efforts which involve nothing but thoughtfulness, concern for patients needs are respect for human dignity than anything else Role of womens voluntary organisation There is considerable scope of womens voluntary organisations not only to improve public relations but also in easing some of the administrative burdens of the hospital. These organisations have been doing commendable work for many worthwhile causes, including health care, and there is no reason why their services should not be utilised on a bigger scale in hospitals. Voluntary effort by such organisation can be utilised in hospital wards, in the OPD, at the reception and enquiry counter, in managing gift shop and in fund raising. However, contact and educating the community, that their public relations value lies. The volunteers should be made conversant with the general functioning of the hospital in order to make effective community contact. Conclusion

It is necessary to strive to provide a high quality of service as well as to educate the public on the hospitals problems or limitations. The hospital has to exist, function, survive and grow as a part of the social system; it cannot function, in its own ivory tower. It is bound to be influenced by the external and internal environment as in turn it influences them. The warmth, concern, perception, sensitivity, and compassion are integral to the art and business of healing- it can never be replaced by technology. Nursing service has an extremely important role to play in this respect. The patients and the community have a legitimate right to respect a reasonably satisfactory