How to Make a Medical Complaint - Pt 3: Writing an Effective Letter of Complaint
Welcome to Part 3 of our four-part blog series on How to Make a Medical Complaint In Alberta, Canada.
If you’ve determined that making a medical complaint is necessary, and have reviewed the steps outlined in How do I make a medical complaint in Alberta?, you may be ready to write your formal letter of complaint. Making any complaint in writing via email - rather than by phone - is highly recommended, so that a chain of response can be established and used later to further the complaint process.
Here are some best practices that will help your letter of complaint result in action, and change.
Steps for Writing a Formal Letter of Medical Complaint
Gather as much information as possible (details here on what to record). A statement of complaint without backup information will most often result in delays when an agency requests further information.
You must know the names of the nurses, support staff, or physicians involved. Refer to your notebook, or obtain them through your patient records.
Request hospital records. These must be requested by the patient or by their agent named in their Personal Directive. These records generally take a minimum of 30 business days to be delivered, so start this request early in your complaints process. (See the facility’s Health Information Department for the correct form).
Note: Nurses just use initials in their charting. Ensure that you receive the ‘signature record’ when you request your health records, so you can identify the nurse or registered care aide. The CRNA has ways to identify the nurses if you can’t, but they must have the date(s), the shift(s), the hospital/facility, and the unit.Request consultation reports, if your concerns or complaints are about a specialist regarding care received outside the hospital. These can be obtained from their office directly, or, often more easily, through your Primary Care Practitioner.
5. Review records, and make thorough notes. This can be the most time consuming part of the process, especially if you are not used to medical terms and language. If possible, bring someone onto your team who is familiar with these terms and paperwork.
Note: Be aware that complete chart notes are not always provided without a specific request, and that implicating information can be excluded intentionally. A professional Patient Advocate, or a friend/family member who works in the healthcare system would realize these notes are missing. Trust your gut if you feel there should be more information than is being provided!
6. Be open to possibilities of how and why things happened. Often when we or a loved one has been hurt, we want to attach blame and tell ourselves a story that fits what we think “must have happened”. Was this something one person did, or can you see increasing evidence that this was a part of a bigger issue involving more staff, lack of staffing, lack of training, or issues with leadership?
7. Compile your complaint, using the W5 technique outlined here. To be taken seriously, it must be logical and not an angry rant. What do you want to accomplish? Is it disciplinary action, or a change to practices that you want to see? If so, outline this either at the beginning, or summarize at the end of the complaint.
8. You may want to use variations of the same complaint to forward to multiple agencies:
AHS Patient Relations Department: Send here for complaints against a hospital or facility overseen by Alberta Health Services that management will need to address.
Covenant Health Patient Relations Department: Send here for complaints against a hospital or facility overseen by Covenant Health that management will need to address.
CPSA: Send here for complaints against physicians.
CRNA: Send here for complaints about registered nurses, and nurse practitioners., even if you are also making a complaint to the Patient Relations Department of AHS or of the private facility. The CRNA looks at licensing, education, and practice in a completely different light (and often much more seriously) than the Patient Relations Department.
CLPNA: The same goes for complaints about LPN’s, which should be sent to the CLPNA. Complaints against Health Care Aides should be directed to the HCA Directory. These organizations handle certification, and oversee competency of their prospective members. They also field complaints, conduct investigations and decide on disciplinary actions necessary.
CMA: Concerns about certification or conduct of a Midwife can be sent to The College of Midwives of Alberta.
In conclusion
When making a formal medical complaint:
Be logical, but stay angry and motivated.
Be assertive and follow up, follow up, and follow up some more.
You can make a difference.
Links & Resources
For greater detail on each of the above steps, and all contact info for the offices mentioned, see:
Making a Medical Complaint in AB: Links, Contacts & Resources
Credits to Connie Jorsvik of PatientPathways.ca
Edited and adapted by Corinne Hewko for the Alberta healthcare system
