ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the important role of policies, protocols and procedures (PPPs) in supporting many aspects of everyday busy general practice. Human memory and attention are imperfect, whether in the home or in the workplace. One way to mitigate errors or lapses in concentrations during everyday work tasks is through the use of PPPs. A simplified description, therefore, is that policies represent the ‘external face’ of the practice and procedures the ‘internal face’. Practices tend to have fewer policies than procedures. Policies are normally freely available to staff, patients and the public, whereas procedures are normally only available to staff. ‘Policy’, ‘protocol’ and ‘procedure’ are terms that are often used interchangeably and which can be misunderstood. The following practical example illustrates the relation between the three terms: policy, protocol and procedure.
