Clinical pathway

Clinical Pathway is a multidisciplinary management tool based on evidence-based medicine for the specific types of patients with a predictable clinical course, in which the different tasks by the professionals involved in the patient care are defined, optimized and sequenced either by hour (ED), or day (inpatient). They have the aim of enhancing the quality of care by improving patient outcomes, promoting patient safety, increasing patient satisfaction, and optimizing the use of resources.

Definition

A Clinical Pathway or Care Pathway is a complex intervention for the mutual decision making and organization of care processes for a well-defined group of patients during a well-defined period. Defining characteristics of care pathways include: an explicit statement of the goals and key elements of care based on evidence, best practice, and patients’ expectations and their characteristics; the facilitation of the communication among the team members and with patients and families; the coordination of the care process by coordinating the roles and sequencing the activities of the multidisciplinary care team, patients and their relatives; the documentation, monitoring, and evaluation of variances and outcomes, and the identification of the appropriate resources.

History

The concept of Clinical Pathway has its roots in the 1980s in the United States, where it was developed as a method to manage the quality in healthcare which is driven by the standardization of care processes. It was first applied in the field of psychiatry and later spread to other medical fields.

Benefits

The benefits of Clinical Pathways include reduced variability in clinical practice, improved outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. They can also lead to more efficient use of resources and improved clinical documentation.

Criticisms

Critics of Clinical Pathways argue that they can lead to a 'one size fits all' approach to patient care and that they may not take into account individual patient needs. They also argue that they can lead to a focus on process rather than outcomes and that they can be difficult to implement.

See also

• Evidence-based medicine
• Healthcare quality
• Patient safety
• Patient satisfaction