Consultative Approach

Ways of Policies Development

In a consultative approach, organizations engage external experts, such as consultants or industry specialists, to help develop policies. This method is often used when the organization lacks in-house expertise or when regulatory compliance requires specialized knowledge. The first step is to identify the stakeholders whose input is necessary for the policy’s development. For example, if a hospital is developing a new policy on medication reconciliation, stakeholders might include pharmacists, physicians, and patient safety defenders. After identifying, the next step is to engage them in consultations through various forms such as focus groups, surveys, or meetings. The goal is to gather their input on elements of the policy, such as purpose, procedures, and challenges. In the case of medication reconciliation, the hospital might organize a series of workshops where staff share their challenges with the existing processes, and discuss implementing new technology. Once consultations are finished, the collected data is synthesized. This helps to identify common challenges. After revisions based on the process, the policy is approved by governing bodies. Involving a broad range of stakeholders, the consultative approach ensures that their needs and perspectives are taken into account. The role of external experts in this process reassures the audience about the quality of the policy development process. When they are involved together in the development process, they are more likely to support and comply with the final policy. However, this approach needs time and resources to organize consultations, gather feedback, and revise policies, as well as managing input from multiple sources is complex, especially in large healthcare organizations with diverse departments.