
As the demands of the regulatory world grow, so too do our needs to manage them. In the past, the healthcare world responded with using systems like Sharepoint or by building individual programs. While these did the trick, it’s becoming more and more evident that these systems are no longer standing up to modern day demands. Here are three reasons it’s time your organization upgraded their legacy policy management solution.
Disseminate and archive policies in one fell swoop.
Most modern day systems are filled with many robust capabilities legacy systems couldn’t ever dream of. But perhaps most important to a hospital is the ability to create or update a document and distribute it organization-wide with a click of a button, while simultaneously removing any trace of an outdated policy and procedure from the hands of your frontline staff. This method for document control is considered best practice, as it helps to ensure your entire facility has the tools at hand to maintain compliance and patient safety.
That being said, it is also vital that a Saas-based system that offers access when needed, especially at the point of care. The benefits of this are far-reaching but in the context of document control, it removes the need to create and update binders or for staff to carry copies of frequently used policies with them.
Relieve staff of their ever-growing workload
Legacy policy management solutions tend to add to rather than relieve staff from heavy workloads. This is because these systems lack automation. In other words, built-in functionality that can support your patient safety and quality initiatives by streamlining workflows, assigning tasks, and sending notifications when something requires your attention. Rather, with these legacy systems, this work needs to be performed manually. Ultimately, adding more mundane tasks to your day-to-day load as opposed to simplifying it.
Increase Collaboration
Everyone knows that running a healthcare facility is the job of many, however, legacy systems have not been built to support this. As many As such, often times, several extensive meetings are required before a policy or procedure can be placed into action. Unfortunately, this is an inefficient method especially when timely compliance standards are at play.
Newer systems built especially for policy and procedure management can promote collaboration throughout the approval process by offering access to all necessary personnel, including major stakeholders. Doing so removes the need for time-consuming meetings that can take weeks to schedule. In addition, they can also leave comments, edit, and sign-off on new or updated documents to ensure approval cross-organizationally. Best yet, doing so can boost morale and compliance, as it provides a greater sense of pride and ownership.
The benefits of a robust policy and procedure management solution do not end here. But of course, since no two facilities are the same neither are the products created to support them. For example, you might find that some solutions offer crosswalking of policy to accreditation standards to help you achieve on-site survey readiness, and some do not. However, there are some features you definitely should not go without, as it’s a good idea to stay on the path of modernity so that you don’t run the risk of falling behind. What it comes down to is what your organization needs and the initiatives you’re working towards achieving, and even what you wish to achieve in the future.