HEALTHCARE POLICIES

Healthcare policies are as vital as the healthcare services provided by a health institution. The primary goal of healthcare policies is to ensure standardization and normalization of day-to-day activities of a health institution. These policies are essential in handling issues that are critical when it comes to health, safety, legal liability and regulatory requirements (Grol et al., 2013). Healthcare policies set up a general plan of action that aid in making decisions to achieve the desired outcomes for the organization. Further, it enables the employees to understand their role and limitation within the health institution fully. Finally, health policies set the platform for the delivery of not only safe quality care but also in a cost-effective manner (Nessie.uihr.uillinois.edu. 2018).

National healthcare policies are vital regardless of whether everyone was equally gifted, educated, motivated, healthy, and wealthy. Quality healthcare services must meet t the national standards. These standards required similar services be offered to all the patients regardless of their social, economic and educational background (Levesque et al., 2013). Normalization of operations according to the national policy also ensures safety for patients as well as laying down the roles and responsibility of healthcare providers (Tummers, & Bekkers, 2014).

Open access to health care will continue to create health care policy concerns. Open access to health care refers to unlimited access to healthcare services (Oleszek, 20114). Given the wide geographic distribution of the population and location of providers for all geographic areas, the implementation of an OPA would, in fact, lead to an in the significance of health policies. As stated, policies are vital in standardizing operations and activities within health institutions. This standardization would be far much necessary in an open access plan to cater to the disparities in population and geological location of patients (Stewart, & Wild, 2017).