Communication plan, clinical records system upgrade, Rowanmere District Hospital
Communication plan template with audience, message and channel
A communication plan has to make sure each group affected by a change hears the right message, at the right time, from someone they trust, and that their questions come back to the people running it. This four page plan for a hospital clinical records upgrade does that with seven audiences, five key messages, nine channels with owners and a feedback loop with response times.
The document, page by page
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Section by section
What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.
- Cover
- Spine cover with the hospital, the project and the plan date.
- 1. Purpose
- The go live weekend, the downtime and who is affected.
- 2. Audiences
- Seven audiences with size, what changes and what they need.
- 3. Key messages
- Five numbered messages repeated in every channel.
- 4. Channels, frequency and owners
- Nine channels with audience, frequency and owner.
- 5. Feedback loop
- Four ways questions come back, response times and reporting to the board.
How to adapt this document
First, list your audiences by what changes for them, not by the org chart, and write the one thing each most needs before choosing channels. Second, keep the five message headings but rewrite the content for your change, whether an office move, a merger or a new policy, with the dates and help contacts filled in. Third, give every channel a way for questions to come back and a response time, then report the common questions so the FAQ keeps up.
What makes this document work
Audiences are split by what changes for them
Nurses, doctors, visiting doctors, allied health, clerical staff, patients and the board each get a row with their size, what actually changes for them and what they most need: hands on practice for 760 nurses, a direct support number for 220 visiting doctors, reassurance for about 180 inpatients.
Five messages, said the same way everywhere
Why, when, what it means for you, how you will be ready and where to get help are written once and reused in every channel, with the specifics fixed: downtime from 10 pm Saturday to about 4 am Sunday, and the command centre on extension 4400 from 6 to 20 March.
Every channel has a way back in
The feedback table gives each route a next step and a response time: huddle questions answered at the next huddle, intranet questions in 2 working days, urgent ward issues within 1 hour. The fortnightly report flags any group not hearing the message and changes the approach.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a communication plan and a stakeholder engagement plan?
A communication plan is mostly about telling people: which messages go to which audiences, through which channels and when. A stakeholder engagement plan is about how much influence each group has on a decision, from being informed to deciding. Projects that change how people work, like this upgrade, often need a communication plan first.
How many key messages should a communication plan have?
Few enough that every channel can repeat them word for word, usually three to five. More than that and different channels drift into different versions of the story. This plan uses five, covering why, when, what it means for you, how you will be ready and where to get help, and repeats them everywhere.
How often should staff hear about a major system change?
Monthly while the change is far away, then weekly in the last month and daily around go live. Frequency should rise as the change gets closer and more concrete. Mix broadcast channels such as email with face to face ones such as team huddles, because people trust a manager's briefing more than an all staff message.
How do you know if a communication plan is working?
Track measures that show understanding and readiness, not just messages sent: attendance at practice sessions against a target, the most common questions, and survey results after go live. If one group keeps asking the same thing or misses sessions, change how you reach them rather than sending more of the same email.
Should patients be told about a hospital system change?
Patients in hospital during a cut over should be told briefly what to expect, such as short delays in results, and reassured that care continues safely. A short card handed out by the nurse in charge, as in this plan, usually works better than a long letter. Patients outside the hospital rarely need to know.
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