E-Mail and Phone Etiquette for Hospital Staff

Hospitals staff communicate with patients, the public and co-workers through email and via the phone. Most hospitals, especially larger facilities, have persons who answer and transfer phone calls as their primary job function. However, many other staff members also communicate via telephone. Email communication is typically between co-workers but may include staff at other facilities, partnering companies or, in some cases, patients and the public. Proper e-and phone etiquette should be used in all of these situations.

Sending and Receiving Emails

• Though email is considered an informal means of communication, it has become a standard form of communication between co-workers in most hospitals. Despite the quick nature of sending and receiving emails, there are still some etiquette rules that apply. When corresponding with co-workers or staff at partnering companies, include a quick greeting, to-the-point message and short closing for the best effect.

  When corresponding with patients or the public, email should be treatment more like a formal letter. Include the date, a heading, greeting, an organized message body and formal signature with contact information. When receiving email from any person it is best to read and make a timely response -- within 24 hours, if possible.

Making Phone Calls

• Nurses, physicians and hospital administrators sometimes need to call families, visitors, other departments, companies and members of the community. It is always appropriate phone etiquette to greet the receiver and identify yourself to begin a phone conversation. When making telephone calls to persons outside of the hospital it is also important to briefly state the reason for calling and ask if it is a good time to talk. When calling other departments or companies, ask the other party for her name as this shows personal interest.

Receiving Phone Calls

• It is important to answer phone calls, especially when answering calls from patients, visitors, or other members of the public with an appropriate greeting that informs the caller of the location they have reached as well as the person they are speaking with.

  Most hospitals, like many professional businesses, has a standard greeting for their staff to use when answering calls. For example, "Thank you for calling [hospital or department name], this is [person speaking], how may I help you?" At the least, identifying the location and your name is proper telephone etiquette for hospital staff. Remember to always speak clearly and slowly when making or receiving phone calls.

Considerations

• It is important for hospital staff members to consider The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) when communicating via email or telephone at work. HIPAA protects the privacy of patients and their medical information. It is against the law to give out patient information to individuals who have not been authorized by the patient to receive their information. Patient information can only be shared with hospital staff who must be familiar with a patient's information to perform their duties.