By law, and out of respect for patients and families, privacy is of utmost concern.
To obtain a patient’s condition, media must have the patient’s first and last name with correct spelling to obtain the one-word condition report. If consent has been given, a one-word condition report will be released to media. All North American hospitals use the same one-word condition reports:
Undetermined: Patient is awaiting physician and/or assessment.
Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.
Clinicians find the "critical, but stable" term useful when discussing cases among themselves because it helps them differentiate patients who are expected to recover from those whose prognosis is worse. But a critical condition means that at least some vital signs are unstable, so this is inherently contradictory. The term "stable" should not be used as a condition. Furthermore, this term should not be used in combination with other conditions, which by definition, often indicate a patient is unstable.
Note: A prognosis will not be given to the media or the public, except by the patient's physician with the patient's consent.
Death: The death of a patient may be reported to the authorities by the hospital, as required by law. Any release of information to the public by the hospital about a death will only be made following the notification of next-of-kin and upon receipt of a request about the specific patient. Information about the cause of death must come from the patient's physician, and a legal representative of the deceased must approve its release.
For Patient Condition Information
Monday – Friday 8am-4:30pm
605-328-7062
After Business Hours
605-333-4444
Sanford Health facilities follow the guidelines contained in the South Dakota Code of Cooperation, A Public Relations Handbook for Hospitals, Physicians and Media. Please click below for Code of Cooperation information.
|
