In an effort to further your understanding of the laws, policies, and procedures that govern the healthcare industry today, you will be creating your own abbreviated version of a healthcare facility handbook. Typically, the handbooks and official documents that outline the policies and procedures for any given healthcare facility are very lengthy and in-depth. For the purposes of this activity, you will be writing a much more abbreviated version.

You will also want to research the specific laws that govern the health science field as you will include an introduction page in your handbook that states several relevant laws. Specifically, your online research should focus on the following:

Laws that govern the health sciences such as privacy, patient rights, HIPAA, informed consent, advanced directives, malpractice, negligence, etc.

Documentation and record keeping options

Health facility chain of command and scope of
practice

Reporting and ethics

First, figure out what kind of healthcare facility you will be writing this handbook for: a fully operational hospital, a pediatric facility, or a family practice, etc.

Next, it is time to start writing! Remember, you will be creating a very abbreviated version of a healthcare facility handbook and only need to write content, policies, and procedures that address the following topics:

Section 1: Laws that Govern Health Sciences
Include at least five specific laws that pertain to the topics discussed in the unit.
Section 2: Documentation
Explain the manner in which patient information is documented and how records are kept. Are they kept by hand? Electronically? Are there any specific forms, and if so, where can they be found? How do you ensure records are accurate?
Section 3: Chain of Command
Outline and explain the levels of authority in your facility. Describe the basic concept of scope of practice and provide several examples of how positions are used at your facility.
Section 4: Malpractice and More
Define and provide a brief example of each of the following terms: malpractice, liability, negligence, abandonment, false imprisonment, and fraud.
Provide guidance and policy/procedure information for how your facility handles each of these above listed items. For example, do you provide liability insurance or are employees required to purchase their own?
Section 5: Reporting and Ethics
Provide information on how employees should report unethical behavior if they witness it. What constitutes unethical behavior? Provide examples.
What signs of domestic violence or neglect should employees keep their eyes open for? How do employees go about reporting this if they should encounter a patient they suspect is dealing with domestic abuse or neglect?

you are required to label and identify each section in your handbook, how you organize and explain the required information within each section is entirely up to you.