Policies and procedures (login required) help to ensure that care delivered to patients is consistent and evidence-based. They also help reduce practice variation, provide guidance for staff, improve adherence to recognized best practices, and help ensure compliance.
However, even though policies and procedures aim to accomplish the same goals, their focuses differ. Policies are high-level; they present the general goal and motivation for adopting it. Procedures, on the other hand, focus on the series of actions required to execute that goal. Policies are broad and don’t change very often; procedures are very focused and may change frequently.
Another way to look at it is that policies cover “what” and “why,” while procedures address “who,” “when,” and “how.”