How to Create a Policy & Procedures Manual for Your Practice
A Policy & Procedure Manual is an essential component of any organization. It provides employees with the guidance they require to function efficiently and consistently in day-to-day operations. Additionally, it can be used for reference, and as a training tool for new employees.
Below is an outline for how to create policies and procedures for your practice, along with some sample policies and templates.
Step 1: Create an outline (sample provided below) of situations that staff may encounter and processes that should be followed on a consistent basis. It may help to have staff keep a list of tasks they complete on a regular and irregular basis.
Step 2: Follow the template provided to write your policy. Tips in creating a good policy include:
- Use terms such as “generally,” and “may” instead of “always” or “must” to ensure flexibility when interpreting and applying the policy to accommodate a variety of circumstances.
- Use clear language.
- Provide a purpose statement to outline why the policy is needed and the desired outcome.
- Ensure policies are compliant with city, county, state and federal laws.
- Consult with any stakeholders who will be responsible for implementation to gain feedback and support.
- Communicate policies with employees, with an acknowledgment statement to indicate their receipt and understanding of the policy.
- Include an effective date.
Step 3: If a policy needs to be updated, or a situation presents that should be included in the Policy & Procedures Manual, simply update or create the necessary policy and communicate the change with your staff.
Step 4: Contact Fuel Medical Group for additional support in creating these materials.
Sample Table of Contents Outline
By no means is this intended to be an all-inclusive list of policies & procedures relevant to your practice. This is just a sample to get you started. You can also download our blank policy template here.
General
- Patient Rights and Responsibilities
- Privacy Basics
- Notice of Privacy Practices
- Office Open and Close procedures
Patient
- New Patient Registration – Obtaining Patient Information
- Scheduling
- Surgery Appointment Scheduling
- Appointment Reminders
- New Patient Check-In
- Check-In for Established Patients
- Patient Check-Out
- No-show/Missed Appointments
- Appointment Cancelation
- Termination of Physician-Patient Relationship
- Overdue Balances
Billing
- Compliance
- Charge Capture (download sample policy)
- Charge Entry
- Collection Agency
Safety
- Infection Control
- Bloodborne Pathogens (download sample policy)
- Accident/Incident Reporting
- Hazard Communication Standard
- OSHA 300 Log
- Emergency Action Plan
- Medical Services and First Aid
- Injury Reporting
Employee
- Employee Conduct
- Sick Leave
- Social Media
- Cellphones
- Dress Code (download sample policy)