Biomaterial Database

The evolution of the pathway and its role in improving patient care. 2010

G Mould, and J Bowers, and M Ghattas

School of Management, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK. gim1@stir.ac.uk

OBJECTIVE Redesign in healthcare has increased the focus on the needs of the patient. The redesign process typically involves a review of current practice using the patient pathway before considering possible improvements. The patient pathway can serve various roles, and it may be mapped in different ways using a variety of media. This paper reviews the evolution of the patient pathway comparing the merits of different media. METHODS Simple approaches to mapping pathways can be most useful. However, experience in the redesign of Unscheduled Care in NHS Fife suggests that computer-based, hierarchical pathway models using stylised icons offer many advantages. CONCLUSIONS Such approaches can increase the effectiveness of pathways in the redesign process, providing both the detail and the system view in an accessible graphical form. This enhanced capability helps staff analyse current practice and visualise and assess redesign options. In addition, the pathway can fulfil new roles as a training tool and an effective basis for organising knowledge about patient care.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011787	Quality of Health Care	The levels of excellence which characterize the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality.	Pharmacy Audit,Quality of Care,Quality of Healthcare,Audit, Pharmacy,Care Quality,Health Care Quality,Healthcare Quality,Pharmacy Audits
D005791	Patient Care	The services rendered by members of the health profession and non-professionals under their supervision.	Informal care,Care, Patient,Informal cares,care, Informal,cares, Informal
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013222	State Medicine	A system of medical care regulated, controlled and financed by the government, in which the government assumes responsibility for the health needs of the population.	National Health Service, British,Socialized Medicine,British Health Service, National,British National Health Service,Medicine, Socialized,Medicine, State,Service, British National Health
D019091	Critical Pathways	Schedules of medical and nursing procedures, including diagnostic tests, medications, and consultations designed to effect an efficient, coordinated program of treatment. (From Mosby's Medical, Nursing & Allied Health Dictionary, 4th ed)	Care Map,Care Pathways,Clinical Pathways,Clinical Paths,Critical Paths,Care Pathway,Clinical Path,Clinical Pathway,Critical Path,Critical Pathway,Map, Care,Maps, Care,Path, Clinical,Path, Critical,Pathway, Care,Pathway, Clinical,Pathway, Critical