mer Pokémon Go phenomenon is creating a newfound communication predicament for PR pros at hospitals.
Many are facing criticism for asking the public, patients and even employees not to participate in the hunt for virtual creatures in hospital settings. It seems the augmented reality cartoon game—released by Nintendo on July 7—is wreaking havoc on day-to-day operations at medical treatment facilities nationwide.
Are communicators and providers overreacting to people using the app on hospital grounds? Larry Daly, a spokesperson for Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw, Michigan, addressed the issue in a statement:
While Covenant HealthCare believes it is great physical exercise for children to hunt for Pokemon, the hospital is not the place to do this. To ensure extraordinary care for our patients, Covenant prohibits entry into the hospital to hunt for Pokemon. Our security department and the local police have been alerted to this issue.
The Miami Herald reported that the University of Kansas Hospital issued a similar plea to the public, invoking HIPAA and other safety concerns:
Playing Pokémon Go…poses a real risk to patients, visitors and employees, according to a memo sent to employees of University of Kansas Hospital. The statement identified risks to physical safety, patient privacy, player privacy, computer security and personal safety. The hospital also is asking Pokémon Go to remove PokéStops—places where players can cash in on extra Pokéballs—from the hospital’s property, and it is asking players not to hunt Pokémon on hospital grounds.
The Herald article also said:
Pokémon Go “is an enticement to bring players into areas where we can’t accommodate them,” Bob Spaniol, director of HIPAA commitment for the University of Kansas Hospital Authority, said in an interview. “We’re busy, and we’re trying to take care of patients.” Spaniol said the hospital received reports of people in restricted areas, so [leaders] decided to encourage people to play the game elsewhere. The hospital also was concerned about liability in case of an accident or breach of privacy.
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Executives at Utah Valley Hospital have asked the community at large to refrain from entering the facility to hunt creatures. A post on Advisory.com said hospital representatives had a specific concern about safety:
At Utah Valley Hospital, the game has directed players to areas near the hospital's helipad, which can be dangerous for both patients and players, and to other locations in and around the hospital. Janet Frank, a hospital spokesperson, said, "If there are extra people who are here not for a patient care reason, then that can cause problems," adding that players should stay outside of the hospital. "If there was a big group of people [entering the hospital], then that could be very concerning."
Kids on the move
One challenge in keeping children safe on public streets while they engage in the game is traffic. A local TV newscast in San Antonio featured a trauma surgeon who demonstrated how distracted kids can get hit by cars while hunting Pokémon:
Cedar Park Family ER has posted a few quick tips to safeguard children who are entrenched in the game:
In all fairness, many clinicians are praising Pokémon Go and crediting the app for encouraging youngsters—including those who are hospitalized—to move around and exercise. Also, healthy children and teens who often complain of boredom during summer school breaks have gotten out of their homes. They are on the run in search of Pokémon.
Meanwhile, many TV news outlets—and YouTube—featured video of young patients being encouraged to use the smartphone app as part of their recovery and treatment. At the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, communicators shared a video on YouTube with this caption and was also tweeting about it:
Pokémon GO is more than just fun and games at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital! Our staff uses the app and other augmented reality tools to transform the patient care experience, encourage kids to connect with one another, and venture out of their hospital bed.
Johns Hopkins is on board as well:
Speaking of beds, I would be remiss if I didn’t include this Pokémon Go gem. A father-to-be waiting for his wife to be prepped for a C-section spotted a Pidgey. BuzzFeed ran a post on Jonathan Theriot’s Labor and Delivery activity. The post went viral:
“As soon as it popped up, I was like, oh my gosh, there’s a Pidgey sitting on your bed!” he said. “So, I screenshotted it, then caught it and showed it to her.”
The post sparked interest from a local TV producer, too:
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