In healthcare, we often hear the terms protocol, standard of care, and policy, and while they’re related, they mean different things.

A protocol is a step-by-step guide used in a healthcare setting to manage specific conditions or situations—like how to handle a patient with chest pain or what to do if someone is at risk of falling. These are specific to each facility.
A standard of care is a general guideline that describes the minimum level of care that should be provided by healthcare professionals. It helps make sure patients receive safe and effective treatment (Fowler, 2022).
A policy is a formal rule that guides decisions. At the practice level, a policy could be about hand hygiene. At the state level, it might be the Nurse Practice Act that defines what nurses can legally do. At the federal level, policies like the Affordable Care Act shape the entire healthcare system (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [HHS], 2015).
From the patient’s perspective, the healthcare system can seem confusing and expensive. Many patients say it’s hard to get timely appointments or understand what their insurance covers. These challenges make it difficult for patients to feel supported (Collins et al., 2022).

When patients express concerns, it can lead to changes in how care is delivered. For example, patient feedback has encouraged more focus on easier access to care and better communication between providers and patients.

References

Collins, S. R., Gunja, M. Z., Aboulafia, G. N., & Beutel, S. (2022). Gaps in health insurance: Why so many Americans experience breaks in coverage and how the Affordable Care Act is helping. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications

Fowler, M. D. M. (2022). Guide to the code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements (3rd ed.). American Nurses Association.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2015). Health care policy and the ACA. https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/index.html