Introduction
“The Importance of Healthcare Policy and Procedures” is an article that purposes to explain the significance of policy in setting the general action plan used in guiding decision-making and desired outcomes in healthcare. The research argues that healthcare policy and procedures are vitally important in communicating the desired organizational outcomes to employees (Leahy). They help them understand their responsibilities and roles in the organization. According to Leahy, healthcare regulations are constantly increasing to include the Meaningful Use, Affordable Care Act, and HIPAA requirements, among others. As a result, this leads to an increased burden of coming up with policies and communicating them efficiently to workers. Solutions of healthcare policy and procedures assist facilities to manage their strategies effectively to improve their efficiency and productivity. Lastly, Leahy states that the best companies utilize both education and technology to lead their policies and procedures. Technological solutions are critical in streamlining this process as they provide a controlled outline for communicating, authorizing, updating the procedures to the organization. Moreover, they ensure that older procedures are correctly archived in a way that cannot affect patient care.
Application to Healthcare Management
The primary role of healthcare workers is to deliver quality care to patients. However, they are distracted from their job when they have to sacrifice their time to comply with facility policies and procedures. To avoid frustrating employees, administrators should find ways of managing and delivering procedures and policies to them effectively and efficiently so that they require minimal time and effort to comply. Although policy and procedure management varies depending on the industry and organization, equipping the facility with a robust solution, such as RLDatix, will improve organizational efficiency and productivity (Leahy). Leahy argues that healthcare policy management is critical in setting out the overall action plan to guide decision-making and desires outcomes. In my opinion, the policy management system helps healthcare staff understand their responsibilities and ensure quality care is delivered to patients safely and cost-effectively. I concur with the author that PolicyMedical, the recommended RLDatix solution, is practical because it keeps healthcare facilities on track by providing streamlined notification and updating tools that make staff aware of critical policy changes.
Reliability and Validity of Article Information
The article was published on the PolicyMedical website, an RLDatix company that delivers governance, risk, and compliance solutions to healthcare enterprises to standardize their policies and procedures. The type of information presented in this article was grounded on research and experience. Leahy claims that PolicyMedical has worked for many years with policies and procedures. Subsequently, he establishes that these solutions are vital in offering clarity when handling activities and issues that are significant to regulatory requirements, health and safety, and legal liabilities. Therefore, the organization found it resourceful to spread knowledge on the topic as they develop robust solutions to help other health facilities manage their policies. The article also holds that they have worked with large healthcare providers who heavily depend on utilizing web-based policy management systems for their regulations and procedures (Leahy). Through research, the article has found that the aforementioned approach is excellent in reaching both local and off-site staff, particularly for employees who work in more isolated and remote areas.
The information presented in the article is valid and reliable because it is based on research and experience with developing policy management software solutions. According to research, policy in the healthcare setting establishes the foundation for delivering the best care level. Today’s environment requires that healthcare organizations complement technology with sound organizational processes to realize the desired outcomes (Leahy). With policy management software, companies can ensure that workers can easily access relevant data and communicate to stakeholders and managers the regulation changes that affect these policies. Additionally, having sound policy management systems ensures that an organization’s policy and procedure information is accurate and updated. Consequently, this provides an effective method of validating a regulatory and accrediting company operating in constant readiness for an audit or survey.
Application of Policy and Procedures in a Business Setting
There are no conflicting views on this article’s information because all healthcare organizations admit the importance of policy management in guiding their daily operations. However, Leahy notes that PolicyMedical might not be the choice of all organizations. Therefore, if one feels that a different vendor has a better match, they should consider their options. Moreover, he claims that the chosen policies and procedure management tool should be unique and fit to the specific purposes and outcomes of the facility. Examples of human resource laws that apply to healthcare organizations include flexible scheduling, supervisory style, and work organizations. Such regulations hold organizations together and streamline daily operations, allowing the facilities to run effectively. Without these, the hospital might struggle to offer clarity when handling issues in the hospital environment.
Conclusion
To conclude, policies and procedures are the backbones that keep organizations together because they standardize their daily operations. In this article, the author explains how policy and procedure management solutions help organizations run their activities efficiently. In addition, they help employees to remain updated and notified of any changes in the organization’s guidelines. I agree with the ideas presented by the author, as he has adequately covered the importance of policy and procedures in healthcare organizations. Lastly, there are no significant critiques that oppose or disregard these findings.
Reference
Leahy, T. (n.d). The importance of healthcare policy and procedures. Policymedical.