How to Create a Successful Healthcare Policy and Get It Implemented - Assignment Example

How to Create a Successful Healthcare Policy and Get It ImplementedIntroduction A healthy lifestyle is one of the objectives of a caring government to its citizens; this is usually achieved by creating various health care policies and implementing them effectively. A health care policy can be described as a set of decisions, plans and actions that are aimed at achieving certain health care goals and objectives. A nicely developed health care policy has several advantages in the health care sector; it documents a vision for the future (Buss 2009), outlines priorities as well as expected roles of particular groups and stakeholders besides establishing a consensus and information systems for all parties involved.

After creating a healthy care policy, it is always important to create capacity as well as other resources that are essential in implementing and achieving the goals and objectives of the policy.Steps in implementing the policyIn creating or reforming the health sector, creating health policies is just one of the process towards ensuring its effectiveness and efficiency in tackling peoples’ health care problems and challenges. The second step is assessing the availability of resources necessary in the implementation of the health care policy; this is an essential process because, it allows for planning on ways of acquiring other resources that are critical to the success of the process.

Resources include both human and non-human; it is important to ensure that successful implementation of the policy requires qualified personnel in the healthcare sector, sufficient funding and reliable infrastructure. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy is important in making necessary adjustments to ensure that set goals and objectives are met as stipulated in the policy. Roles of major stakeholders in the processStakeholders play an important role in the successful implementation of the health policy; they play an oversight role, guiding in implementation of steps planned.

Stakeholders are also important in creating resources needed for implementing the set goals and objectives in the policy; they source for funds, create partnerships with the government and other interested agencies. At the same time, they are essential in setting policy benchmarks as well as help in the process of creating human capital required in the successful implementation of the plan.What can cause policy failure? Every policy is set with the aim of achieving its documented objectives, however, failure to stick to the plan as outlined in the process can contribute to its failure.

It is expected that there will be collaboration and consultations in the implementation process. When these processes are not present, the policy is always bound to fail (Mason 2012), when there is no line of command and authority control, the implementation lacks direction and hence fails to achieve its set objectives.In addition, when there is a lack of resources and commitment from the government and other stakeholders, policy creation and successful implementation is always destined for failure.

The government is tasked with ensuring an encouraging and conducive atmosphere for the implementation of policy objectives, this includes creating necessary infrastructure and provision of finances and other capital goods, in the absence of this commitment, the policy fails as well. Success of health care policy To succeed, the first and important things that have to be available are resources; this includes both human and non-human resources. There has to be sufficient health care professional and other policy experts to oversee the implementation process and contribute to its success (Stubblefield 2005).

All stakeholders are expected to collaborate in mutual agreements and consultations that are aimed at achieving set objectives in the policy.Besides the commitment from all stakeholders, success in policy implementation lies in regular evaluation and assessment of set goals and objectives. For this case, there has to be evaluation and assessment instruments in place to ensure that all steps are followed and elements lacking are brought in, at the same time, evaluation can be helpful in the adjustment of policy objectives where they may appear to be unrealistic or unachievable.

In the end, adherence to rules and regulations as well as teamwork efforts are all essential in ensuring that set goals and objectives as outlined in the policy are achieved.ReferencesBuss, T. (2009). Expanding access to health care a management approach. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe.Mason, D. (2012). Policy & politics in nursing and health care. St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Saunders.Stubblefield, A. (2005). The Baptist health care journey to excellence creating a culture that WOWs! Hoboken, N.J.

: John Wiley & Sons.