Policies and Protocols

In most environments within the health care, various policies dictate the overarching manner in which health care is accessed and delivered. An example of health policy in Canada is the Canada Health Act (CHA), which provides universal health insurance coverage funded at the federal, provincial, and territory levels. The Canada Health Act, a health policy, defines medical services with a goal to sustain health, prevent illness, and methods for diagnosing and treatments available. Many facilities and settings set policies in place to support quality patient outcomes. An MRT should be informed of the organizational policies governing their actions to ensure compliance and alignment.

Protocols in health care are described as a set of instructions or guidelines to follow surrounding patient care. Clinical protocols reflect the appropriate level of care provided based on a set of health findings. An example could be how many and which types of views are obtained when a patient needs x-rays for a wrist injury versus chronic wrist pain.  Using therapeutic communications in a clinical setting is an example of following a protocol to support client care and outcome.