Media Policy

• Media must be accompanied by a member of the Public Relations team at all times while they are on Seattle Children’s property to ensure patient safety and privacy is not compromised. If a member of the Public Relations team is not present, the security team will escort media off the property.
• Due to patient privacy, a signed consent form from a patient’s legal guardian is required before any information can be released about a patient, or any interview can take place with a patient and their family or a patient’s care provider.
• All media interviews and filming must be approved by the Public Relations team in advance. If you have been invited to the hospital, a clinic appointment or the research institute by a provider, researcher or patient family, please contact the Public Relations team as soon as possible, as prior approval is required.
• While we do our best to accommodate interview requests, not all interview or filming requests can always be accommodated, which includes interviews or filming arranged through a provider or patient family. 
• We limit filming in our clinics, as our first priority is patient care. We must limit any disruptions to patient care while maintaining a safe environment for our patients and families.
• Approved media interviews or filming must adhere to the scope of what was authorized prior to arrival. Please be thorough in ensuring the initial request encompasses the full scope of what you are hoping to capture while on our premises.
• Media must identify Seattle Children’s providers and staff by their Seattle Children’s title in stories related to their work at the hospital or research institute.

Patient Condition Updates

The safety, well-being and privacy of our patients are our highest priorities. A signed consent form from a patient’s legal guardian is required before any information can be shared about the patient, which includes confirmation that the patient is at our hospital and the release of condition or other information. We cannot honor prior consent from another hospital.

We require the correct spelling of the patient’s first and last name in order to proceed with consent. This is to protect any patients with similar names who may also be in our hospital.

If a family declines consent, we cannot confirm that the patient is at our hospital or provide condition information.

• Undetermined: The patient is awaiting a physician and an assessment.
• Treated and released: The patient has been treated by the hospital, and has been released.
• Stabilized and transferred: The patient was stabilized at the hospital, and has been transferred to another facility for further care.
• Satisfactory: Vital signs (heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, temperature) are stable and within normal limits. The patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are good.
• Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
• Critical: Vital signs are unstable or not within normal limits. The patient may be unconscious. There is some doubt the patient will recover. Death could be imminent.
• Deceased: Death has occurred.

If you have additional questions, visit our Media FAQ for answers to some of the questions we receive most often.