The concepts of protocol, standards of care delivery, and policy are common terms individuals come across in healthcare facilities. These terms are different and refer to different activities; therefore, all healthcare providers must understand and apply these terms most appropriately. A protocol determines a set of criteria and rules that all nurses must follow in their nursing practice. However, the standard of care delivery determines the guidelines that require the nurse to work and act in a particular situation (Askin & Moore, 2022). All the actions from the standard of care delivery will follow the policies at practice, state, and federal levels. The policies at the hospital will regulate nurses within a specific healthcare facility. However, at the state level, policies exist to ensure that all the facilities within the state undertake their activities following the state laws. The countrywide policies impact the operation of all the healthcare facilities in the country.
The main stakeholders in delivering quality healthcare services in the U.S include the patients, providers, payers, and policymakers. These stakeholders have different perceptions of the U.S healthcare delivery system; therefore, looking at their perceptions will form the basis of improvement for this system. In the U.S, patients often perceive the healthcare delivery system as more economically oriented than service delivery (Yang & Usman, 2021). The healthcare system in the U.S is expensive; therefore, only patients with the ability to pay can access these services. Patients believe that health is a human right; therefore, all patients should receive quality healthcare services regardless of their ability to pay for the services.
References
Askin, E. T., & Moore, N. (2022). The health care handbook: a clear and concise guide to the United States health care system. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN: 1975200047
Yang, B., & Usman, M. (2021). Do industrialization, economic growth, and globalization processes influence the ecological footprint and healthcare expenditures? Fresh insights based on the STIRPAT model for countries with the highest healthcare expenditures. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 28, 893-910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.07.020