Jan. 25, 2008 at 2:40pm

The three markers of transparency

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Community Relations, Internal Communications, Media Relations
No comments

What it means to be transparent can be murky.

I remember years ago being uneasy following surgery when I felt my doctor had left out important information about my procedure. Would I have recovered faster if I had a different surgery? Why was my surgery in the facility across the street from the hospital? Why wasn’t I warned that I would receive a separate bill from the anesthesiologist?

I think about how I would have felt if we’d had more of a discussion about options and the role of various providers in my care. Being transparent would have meant involving me more in making decisions.

When people call for transparency, sometimes it’s code for asking for proof an organization can be trusted. Will your expansion mean more cars on my street? How much is the CEO paid? How much of the fund-raising proceeds actually go to charity?

Just sharing information may not be enough. You may need to change the way you act. That’s what one landlocked hospital discovered.

Like many hospitals, the medical center found itself at odds with neighbors about its plans to expand. Sure they supported the hospital, but not at the expense of changing the nature of their quiet neighborhood. So hospital executives invited the neighbors in. They met with them to explain the hospital’s master planning process and its plan – not once, but in a series of open forums where they responded to every question put to them. They shared information online, by phone and e-mail, with the media, and in printed materials. They explained the city’s role in making land-use decisions and the hospital board’s role in making capital decisions. They even revised the hospital’s plan in direct response to the neighbors’ concerns about traffic. The relationship with the neighbors improved dramatically.

A similar hospital expansion effort is going on now in Seattle at Children’s Hospital. We’re watching to see how it unfolds.

We’ll be looking for these three markers of transparency:

1. Sharing information
2. Allowing others to influence us
3. Being clear about who gets to decide

Expectations of us in health care are particularly high. Consumers, employees and the media hold us to a higher standard than truth and accuracy. Often it is trustworthy behavior and transparency they want.

Comments (0)

Add your comment below