Use Word's AI to Accelerate HIM Policy Drafting

What This Does

Word Copilot generates the structural framework for policy documents — purpose statements, scope sections, definitions, procedure steps, and reference lists — so you spend your time filling in HIM-specific content instead of building document structure from scratch.

Before You Start

• Microsoft Word is open (desktop app or Word on the web via Microsoft 365)
• Microsoft 365 with Copilot enabled — or use the built-in "Help me write" feature (available in some plans without full Copilot)
• You know the policy topic and the regulatory basis for the update

Steps

1. Open a blank Word document

Start a new document. Don't use an existing policy file for this step — start clean and you'll merge content afterward.

2. Access the Copilot or Help Me Write feature

With full Copilot: Click the Copilot icon in the Home ribbon. A sidebar opens on the right.

With Help Me Write: Click anywhere in the document, then look for the small Copilot prompt box that appears inline. Or go to Home → Copilot → Draft with Copilot.

What you should see: A prompt box asking "What would you like to write?"

3. Generate the policy skeleton

Type a description of the policy you need. Be specific about the regulatory basis and department.

What to type: "Draft a hospital HIM department policy for Management of Incomplete Medical Records. Include sections for: Purpose, Scope, Definitions, Policy Statement, Procedure, Responsibilities, References, and Review Schedule. Use a formal healthcare policy format."

What you should see: A complete 2–3 page policy skeleton with headings and placeholder text.

4. Review the generated structure

Read through the output. The structure will be correct; the content will be generic. Your job is now to:

• Replace generic language with your organization's specific procedures
• Add the regulatory citations that apply (HIPAA, CMS, Joint Commission)
• Adjust any sections that don't match your organization's workflow

5. Ask Copilot to refine specific sections

If a section needs more depth, highlight it and ask Copilot to expand it.

What to type: "Expand the Procedure section to include specific steps for physician notification of incomplete records and the escalation process."

What you should see: More detailed procedure steps inserted into the document.

Real Example

Scenario: Your state just updated its medical record retention requirements, and your current Retention and Destruction policy needs to update the retention timeline table.

What you type: "Draft an updated retention schedule table for a hospital HIM policy. Include columns for: Record Type, Minimum Retention Period, State Requirement, Federal Requirement, and Destruction Method. Include common record types: inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, minor patients, and deceased patients."

What you get: A formatted table with the standard structure, ready for you to fill in the specific state/federal periods for your jurisdiction.

Tips

• Use Copilot to generate the initial skeleton, then switch to your own editing for the substantive content — the AI is better at structure than at knowing your specific organizational requirements
• After editing, ask Copilot to "proofread this policy for consistency in formatting and terminology" to catch any inconsistencies you introduced
• Save the AI-generated skeleton as a reusable template for future policies of the same type

Tool interfaces change — if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.