PATIENTS CARE

Healthcare policies are central to the regulation of radiographic practice and play a vital role in shaping the quality of patient care. This study investigated the impact of healthcare policies on radiographers at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), focusing on policy awareness, influence on daily practice, patient care outcomes, and the challenges of policy adherence. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected from viii 31 radiographers through a structured questionnaire. The results showed that 61.3% of respondents were aware of institutional healthcare policies, while 74.2% could identify policy documents relevant to their duties. Full compliance with radiation safety requirements (100%) was observed, demonstrating strong adherence in safety-sensitive areas. Policies were found to substantially influence professional conduct, as 93.5% agreed that policies guide daily radiographic practice, while 87.1% indicated that policies ensure standardization and 90.3% affirmed improved accountability. In terms of patient care, 93.5% agreed that policies enhance service quality and 87.1% believed they promote consistency, although only 42.0% felt that policies reduce imaging time. A Chi-square test further confirmed a statistically significant relationship between healthcare policies and daily radiographic practice (χ² = 61.29, df = 1, p = 0.000), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Despite these positive outcomes, radiographers reported major challenges such as inadequate resources (87.1%), insufficient training (61.3%), outdated guidelines (58.1%), and inconsistent implementation across departments (58.0%). The study concludes that healthcare policies positively shape radiographic practice and patient care at UBTH, but their effectiveness is limited by systemic and administrative constraints. Strengthening policy communication, updating guidelines, improving resource availability, and expanding training opportunities will enhance policy adherence and further improve patient outcomes in radiography.