While healthcare policies detail organizational requirements, healthcare procedures establish a clear plan of action to implement them. They provide step-by-step guidance to staff members, helping to clarify guidelines and eliminate misunderstandings. To start, procedures should explain exactly when and how to take action in specific situations. For an added layer of support to staff, they should also provide acceptable alternative options, if applicable, for any steps. A great way to think of procedures is to visualize a roadmap that offers direction and highlights details to help staff members stay on the right path and deliver quality care. RLDatix PolicyStat integrates with third party evidence-based policies and procedures, allowing healthcare staff to seamlessly reference procedures and skills all from a centralized platform. 

Reducing Costs and Preventable Adverse Events with Policy and Procedure Management 

Healthcare organizations must be sure that healthcare policies and procedures are compliant with regulatory standards. Such guidance helps employees follow proper procedures and creates a safe environment for patients. A 2019 study from the Leapfrog group estimates that 161,250 preventable deaths occur each year in U.S. hospitals. Researchers from John Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality found this by identifying poor hospital performance on 16 patient safety measures used by the Leapfrog Group to assign hospital grades. Despite a decrease in this number since a 2016 study conducted by John Hopkins, hospitals in the US are still facing a staggering amount of preventable deaths.  

Adam E. Block, PhD, a leading healthcare economist, reports that preventable medical errors such as hospital acquired infections, surgical complications, medication errors and pressure ulcers can cost hospitals up to $11.9 million per 100,000 patient admissions. While some preventable adverse events can be attributed to human error, others are a result of faulty systems and processes that could be prevented with improved policy and procedure management. For an organization’s policy library to make a true impact on care, there must be a system in place to disseminate policies across the organization. When equipped with a policy and procedure management solution, healthcare organizations are better positioned to reduce preventable adverse events because staff have timely, accurate care information at the point of care.  

Managing Legal Risk with Policy and Procedure Management 

An effective policy management system, such as RLDatix PolicyStat, also supports organizations when situations related to liability risk management arise. If a healthcare organization faces litigation, it should be prepared to demonstrate that policies and procedures were in place, up to date and employees were aware of and had access to the correct processes. A policy management solution provides a centralized system for this information to be stored and tracked, creating a streamlined process for organizations to access all policy information. Manual forms of policy management create potential for policy information to fall through the cracks, putting an organization at risk for serious legal trouble. In the context of litigation, a healthcare organization would be required to prove that a policy was in place at the time of an adverse event. PolicyStat archives each version of a policy which can be located and referenced when needed. 

Writing effective healthcare policies and procedures is critical in helping your organization’s activities align with its stated values, outline consistent guidelines for staff and support staff’s efforts in preventing adverse events. These key documents provide clarity to staff when they encounter important organizational processes, including patient safety, regulatory requirements and legal liabilities. Effective policies and procedures are just the first step in your organization’s policy management journey. Having a tool in place to manage your policy library supports improved communication and a streamlined process for creating, sharing and reviewing policies and procedures across your organization.  

Improve performance and compliance around your policies and procedures