How do I Search for Policies?

PolicyStat makes locating the active policies and related information you need easy with search functions.

Please click the button below to explore these functions in an interactive tutorial, or read more below.

Searching in PolicyStat Tutorial

Full-Text Suggest as You Search:

A full-text search through PolicyStat’s search bar works like most other Internet searches. The search bar displays the top 5 most relevant results for the search criteria.

Root Word Search

A search for active policies containing the term “medication” displays the most relevant results at the top. PolicyStat’s search engine recognizes root word similarities in terms to provide a full scope of results. A search for “medication” can also provide results for “medicate”, “meds”, “medicine” or even “medical”.

Typo Correction

The search suggestion recognizes minor spelling errors and adjusts accordingly. For example, entering "habd" in the search bar will recognize that the intended search term was "hand" and produce relevant results.

Proximity, Not Use of Quotes

Use of quotation marks or boolean operators like "and", "or", or "not" do not impact search results. The proximity of two terms to one another, with or without quotes, will impact the ranking of the results. The closer two (or more) terms used in the search are to one another anywhere in the corresponding policy, the higher that policy will display in the search results.

Search Term Order

The search functionality searches first for the characters or term entered, then each subsequent term as it is entered. Consequently, if the first term entered in the search bar does not return any results, it does not matter if the subsequent terms do appear in multiple results.

If your searches do not return results, consider removing the first search term. Typos are corrected during a search if similar terms exist, but if nothing similar exists in any of the policies, no results will be displayed.

Filtered Search:

If a full-text search returns too many results or doesn’t match your needs, filtered searching is another option to consider. PolicyStat’s filters narrow searches by Title, Area, Owner, or Reference Tag.

NOTE: Your local facility may use alternate terminology to describe these filters, but the all functionality is the same.

Title Filter:

The title filter uses a search bar to focus solely on policies with the term in the title. A secondary option in this filter is to browse titles by the first letter of the policy title.

Area* Filter:

The Area filter uses a search bar filter policies based on the Area or Areas to which they are assigned. Multiple Areas can be selected during one search. For groups with large numbers of Areas, a filter can help locate the right Area quickly. When searching within the selected Area(s), a text search can narrow the results further to find the right policy fast.

Owner* Filter:

The Owner filter locates the assigned Policy Owner. Like the Area filter, multiple Owners can be selected, and an additional filter can be applied to narrow the list of Owners. When the correct spelling of the last name is not known, a list of Owners can also be browsed by the first letter of their last name. If an Owner or Owners return too many policies, a text search can narrow the list of policies to find the right policy fast.

Reference Tag* Filter:

The Reference Tag filter searches reference tags created specifically by your group and assigned to policies. Reference Tags are optional, but can be helpful to locate policies based on group-specific terms like applicable state regulations, local initiatives, or any other terms that may not be contained within the policy’s text, but have been attached to a policy for reference and easy access. For example, a Reference Tag can help locate all policies related to NPSG 02.03.01. This statute name may not appear in the text of the policy, but it may be helpful to view all policies related to that statute.

*Terminology may vary based on local site preferences. Area may be known as Policy Area, Department, Category, or another term.

This article applies to the following user roles: