Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the medical incident responses from two public hospitals in Hong Kong, namely, Kowloon Hospital and Caritas Medical Centre, in order to improve the strategic preparation for crisis management in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses two medical incidents using Situational Crisis Communication Theory by Coombs (2007). The two case studies presented herein demonstrate the importance of consistency in terms of crisis responses. Findings For the first case, the crisis responses from different parties after the incident, including Hospital Authority, the doctor and the nurses from Kowloon Hospital, are contradicting to each other. First, Hospital Authority confirmed that the incident is solely an accident which is a denial response. Second, the doctor passed the responsibility to the nurses which is a scapegoating response. Third, the nurses tend to reduce the responsibility for the death of patient by excusing strategy. As a whole, their responses are inconsistent to each other. For the second case, Caritas had initially denied the responsibilities, but finally had given partial apology under public pressure. That makes people think that Caritas does not really regret. Originality/value Rebuilding posture should be used instead of denial and diminishment posture. However, public organization and civil servants are reluctant to use a full apology due to possible legal consequences. The apology ordinance would ease the pressure to express regret and sympathy.
Highlights
To manage a crisis more effectively and efficiently, public hospitals should have a crisis management policy with clear definition of a crisis
Crisis is “a serious threat that can disrupt organizational operations and has the potential to create negative outcomes such as deaths, injuries, financial loss and reputation loss” (Coombs, 2007, p. 3). Violation of their constituents or stakeholders’ expectation is related to crisis as this may lead to stakeholders’ disappointment about the public hospitals in Hong Kong which are managed by Hospital Authority
This paper investigates two public hospital medical incidents in Hong Kong to illustrate how public hospitals can perform or respond better when they manage crises according to the public relation theory – Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)
Summary
To manage a crisis more effectively and efficiently, public hospitals should have a crisis management policy with clear definition of a crisis. Crisis is “a serious threat that can disrupt organizational operations and has the potential to create negative outcomes such as deaths, injuries, financial loss and reputation loss” Violation of their constituents or stakeholders’ expectation is related to crisis as this may lead to stakeholders’ disappointment about the public hospitals in Hong Kong which are managed by Hospital Authority. When making an official announcement about the medical incident, the management of the public hospital might need to seek prior approval from Hospital Authority. It takes time to give a response after a crisis occurs. Media might obtain information or seek for opinions from other unofficial sources when they produce news about the incident. Stakeholders might get false or distorted information and affect their perception about the case
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
