Medical Advisor, Patient Relations

Job Purpose

• Serves as the hospital's central coordinator for all clinical-related complaints and grievances raised by patients and families.
• Ensures that every case is handled professionally, promptly, and with empathy, while safeguarding clinical integrity and supporting patient trust.
• As part of the hospital's Clinical Governance and Patient Safety framework, the incumbent leads investigations of clinical concerns, collaborates with consultants and multidisciplinary teams, and recommends appropriate resolutions.
• Contributes to quality improvement initiatives derived from complaint analysis and lessons learned.

Job Scope

A. Clinical Complaint Intake & Assessment

• Receive, acknowledge, and log all clinical complaints through formal and informal channels, including walk-ins, emails, feedback forms, social media escalations, or hotline calls.
• Conduct initial triage to determine whether the complaint involves potential clinical error, service failure, communication breakdown, or medico-legal implications.
• Prioritize and assign cases for prompt review, ensuring time-sensitive issues are escalated to relevant department heads or medical leadership.

B. Investigation & Root Cause Analysis

• Lead or coordinate detailed reviews of clinical complaints involving consultants, medical officers, nurses, and allied health professionals.
• Analyze clinical documentation, treatment plans, diagnostic results, and relevant case notes to determine care appropriateness.
• Convene case discussions with Medical Affairs/ attending doctors, department heads, and nursing leaders to obtain clarifications and establish factual timelines.
• Prepare comprehensive Clinical Complaint Investigation Reports, summarizing findings, recommendations, and follow-up actions.
• Participate in or facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for complex or sentinel cases related to patient dissatisfaction or adverse outcomes.

C. Communication, Resolution & Mediation

• Serve as the hospital's clinical liaison to patients and families regarding complaint outcomes.
• Communicate investigation findings and resolution plans with clarity, empathy, and professionalism while maintaining medical confidentiality.
• Participate in resolution meetings or mediation sessions between clinicians and complainants where appropriate. Collaborate with the Legal Services, Medical Affairs and customer service team for cases with potential litigation or reputational risk.
• Recommend and coordinate service recovery initiatives (e.g., waivers, refunds, goodwill actions) following established policy and management approval.

D. Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement

• Track and analyze complaint trends to identify systemic gaps in care processes, communication, and patient safety.
• Present quarterly case reviews and trend analyses to the Clinical Governance, Quality & Risk, or Medical Executive Committees.
• Work with Quality, Nursing, and Medical Affairs teams to implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Support the development of clinical communication training modules (e.g., handling difficult conversations, disclosure of adverse events).
• Contribute to continuous improvement projects aimed at enhancing patient experience and clinical accountability.

E. Reporting, Compliance & Documentation

• Maintain accurate, secure, and confidential documentation of all clinical complaints in accordance with the Private Healthcare Facilities & Services Act (PHFSA) and hospital policy.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly management reports with performance metrics, key findings, and recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with Ministry of Health Malaysia requirements, accreditation standards (MSQH, ACHS, and JCI), and hospital governance procedures.

Job Requirements

• Recognized Medical Degree from an accredited University. Postgraduate qualifications or certification in Health Administration, Risk Management, or Quality & Safety are an added advantage.
• Valid Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) and registered with Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
• Minimum 5 years of relevant clinical experience in healthcare with at least 2 years of working experience in complaint management, patient relations, clinical governance, or medico-legal advisory preferred. Experience in a large tertiary or quaternary private hospital environment will be a strong advantage.

Technical Skills

• Ability to analyze and present data related to quality and safety in healthcare and facilitate actions to address identified issues.
• Demonstrated experience in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, protocols and work practices.
• Strong report writing and presentation skills.
• Familiarity with JCI/MSQH standards and complaint governance frameworks.

Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent analytical and critical thinking with sound clinical judgment.
• Skilled in empathetic communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation.
• Demonstrated ability to work sensitively with consultants, patients, and family members in emotionally charged situations.
• Strong report writing and presentation skills.
• High integrity, discretion, and adherence to confidentiality.

Benefits Provided:

• Annual contractual bonus (13th month salary), performance bonus and increment.
• Medical, dental and optical coverage.
• Career development, rewards and recognition.
• Sunway Group's discounts, including property, education, retail, leisure, etc.
• Open and great working environment and team

Hiring process:

• Average processing is around 2 to 4 weeks.
• Subsequently, our recruitment team will reach out to shortlisted candidates for interview arrangements.