Define the difference between management and policy?
The Webster definition of management is the judicious use of means to accomplish an end. Their definition of policy is a definite course of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions. There is a fine line between the difference in policy and management – in fact one of the definitions for policy uses the word management. Both of these definitions basically are mechanisms for establishing a means to an end with the difference being in the “end” or the goals. Ultimately both tracks involve skills necessary for optimal decision making. Health Care Managers are making decisions and plans that optimize operations within their organization. They are typically maximizing what they produce with the resources they have and the decisions they make are in line with that objective. Policy analysts form plans for solving problems or meeting health objectives in the health care market.
