BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently found itself in the middle of a very unpleasant communications situation. Its approach to dealing with the problem has left a lot to be desired.

When reports first surfaced that an unknown number of patients had been put at risk because colonoscopy equipment at VA hospitals had not been properly sterilized between examinations, thousand of patients wondered whether they might be among the unlucky few to have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis, and other deadly germs.

The VA focused its initial communications efforts on the task of reaching patients who needed to be tested for exposure, but who might not have heard about the problem. But the VA apparently failed to appreciate the importance of the much larger audience that may not have had any reason to be concerned this time, but would almost certainly think twice before scheduling a colonoscopy at a VA medical facility in the future.

At first glance, a communication strategy that focused on patients most immediately affected seems to make perfect sense. Reach out to patients at risk, get them tested, reassure those whose test results come back negative, and move quickly to treat those few who were infected. But that approach, while logical and probably necessary from a medical perspective, doesn' t go nearly far enough. It fails to address the audience' s all-important emotional concerns.

To be effective, messages about risk must clearly express concern. And they also must demonstrate solid action. True, the VA did expend a great deal of effort finding and testing patients who were actually at risk. But it did little or nothing to communicate what it was doing to address the root causes of the problem and make sure it never happens again. What changes have been made to staff training programs and operating procedures? Is anyone being held accountable for the mistakes?

Those are the messages that the much larger audience needed to hear if the VA was to preserve any credibility in the wake of what was clearly an inexcusable series of potentially deadly mistakes.

David Bartlett is a Senior Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications, an expert communications strategist and crisis manager, and a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog.