Selecting Policy and Procedure Management Software Correctly

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Software implementations fail for variety of reasons, including lack of top management commitment, unrealistic expectations, poor requirements definition, improper package selection, gaps between software and business requirements, inadequate resources, unrealistic budgets and schedules, poor project management, lack of project management methodology, underestimating the impact of change, lack of training and education, and – last but not least – poor communication. The process can be overwhelming, confusing and lengthy; all these reasons can cause healthcare facilities to avoid even making the switch. However, if healthcare facilities continue maintaining essential policies and procedures in a broken way, then efficiency and profitability issues arise.

With such a laundry list of failure factors, improving the odds of policy and procedure management software implementation success may seem impossible, but the feat can more easily be accomplished. A blueprint of strategic project assurance outlines critical points in the implementation and establishes a clear understanding of expectations among all people involved, from clinical,administrative and IT management to vendor partners and end-users.

Selection Challenge #1: Selecting the right tool for your organization

Selection of the right tool that meets the needs of YOUR healthcare organization is critical to your success. Many organizations also undertake a policy and procedure standardization effort in conjunction with the selection of a tool. If so, a critical component is finding the right tool to support that process as well as a vendor with knowledgeable, experienced resources to help you manage the parallel tasks of policy standardization and software implementation.

Many tools exist on the market and most of them provide the ability to create documents, manage the approval process, and allow staff to search for and read the documents. The key is to do a thorough evaluation of your needs and develop a “must have” vs. a “nice to have” software functionality matrix. This may include your preferences for implementation and training services alongside an evaluation of the various products with the matrix. Be aware that

• Some are massive compliance suites that are more expensive and may contain functionality that your organization does not need.
• Some do not provide complete functionality across all types of devices such as tablets and cell phones.
• Ease of use and search capabilities varies greatly across the platforms.

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To learn more and see why PolicyStat is so often chosen as the best option for policy and procedure management, you can request to see a demo. Or, we’d be happy to answer your questions by contacting us.