2017 Dec 28 Public Interest Remedy

excerpt from HRTO Application by Susan McPherson (Nov 6, 2017)

retrieved Dec 28, 2017

Remedy for Future Compliance (Public Interest Remedy)

Arrange for an expert on Human Rights in Ontario to come into the hospital to educate staff.

Training for residents on how older patients are different than adult patients under the age of 60, for example, sometimes having multiple chronic or even more than one acute health issue at the time of the examination; training on how to improve their methods of interviewing older patients as well as improve techniques for examining older patients who may have multiple chronic or even more than one acute health issue at the time of the examination.

Record phone conversations between secretaries and patients routinely within the hospital, and especially in departments such as Patient Experience or Patient Relations offices, to protect patients (and staff if that should happen) from being verbally abused or of having false accusations made about them due to their age, or sex, or marital and family status. Rewrite the job description of employees in these departments so they are not attempting to perform jobs they ought not to be doing, or unable to do well.

If a physician was overbooked, and had more patients arriving than he could possibly handle, then a solution similar to what airlines have implemented could help. Offer some patients compensation if they agree to postpone their appointment until another day.

Implement a complaints system within the hospital, at which patients and/or staff can lay complaints in writing, and that is managed by individuals with knowledge of the proper ways of proceeding. Place that information on public information boards in the hospital and on the hospital’s website where it can easily be found, and inform switchboard of the telephone number and location – for making a complaint. The complaint policy would enable staff or patients who believe they have not been granted equal treatment within the hospital, on the basis of age, gender, marital and family status, as well as on other grounds, to have their complaint investigated.

Staff training should be required to include

- courses on ageism and the different needs of aging patients.

- courses in communication and assertiveness training for junior administrative staff.

Employees in programs such as Patient Experience and Patient Relations should be required

- to take courses on a regular basis, to keep updated on new developments in the social world, eg. 
    on the expanding meaning of the family, and how to treat all patients respectfully. 

- to take an accredited course for mediation, and on the different kinds of discrimination.

 - to learn how justice happens – taking into consideration the idea that no one should be judged
     guilty without a fair investigation.

- to take a course on being non-judgemental and how that is an important part of their job.