Hi,
I am new to this discussion, although my colleague @john.salter has previously mentioned I work for our Trust as the Pathways lead. We too have spent a lot of time attempting to define pathways and develop a shared common understanding. We have always referred back to the definition of pathways given by the European Care Pathway Association which defines the key characteristics of a pathways as:
1.An explicit statement of the goals and key elements of care based on evidence, best practice, and patient expectations;
2.The facilitation of the communication, coordination of roles, and sequencing the activities of the multidisciplinary care team, patients and their relatives;
3.The documentation, monitoring, and evaluation of variances and outcomes; and
4.The identification of the appropriate resources.
Further information can be found here http://e-p-a.org/care-pathways/
We have further categorised pathways as John describes below: service level (task focussed and what everyone should receive) and would include referral management and discharges, condition specific pathways which outline evidence based interventions and intervention pathways which again are task focussed and describe how a specific intervention is delivered and it is the combination of these that create the individual patient pathway. This is the methodology used by our Trust.
Data capture and reporting for each of these has always proved difficult which led to @john.salter building the prototype previously referred, which has been reviewed by frontline clinicians who would be keen to adopt this solution. If implemented this would allow us to:
· Provide clinical decision support
· Capture adherence to the pathway as well as variance
· Use that data and information to improve the quality of care and patient experience.
It sounds like we are not alone in trying to make sense of this and it would be helpful to see how other areas have tried to capture and use pathway information, although I am clinical by background and have very limited technical knowledge.