Care Pathway Design: Have we got it right? Version 2.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Care pathway Design: A feasibility study to explore and compare the utility of pathway improvement technologies
IRAS ID
158439
Contact name
Sharon Williams
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Research summary
Care pathways are a popular approach to organising the delivery of healthcare services. They are usually disease focused and extend across the boundaries of different healthcare providers, for example a GP making a referral to a hospital specialist clinic. Often these pathways are complex and difficult to define. This study aims to investigate whether quality improvement approaches used in other industries can help to improve the design of care pathways. This research is pertinent in the current climate where healthcare organisations are having to balance the pressures of managing an increasing demand for their services with less or the same resources. Understanding how existing pathways operate within and across different healthcare providers will provide a better understanding of what patience experience and identify opportunities for improvement.
Two chronic disease care pathways have been selected for this study: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Huntington’s Disease (HD). Although these two pathways are expected to be very different in design, the mapping of the existing pathways is likely to provide some results that are common to both pathways. Specifically this research is looking to see what parts of the pathways are predictable and lend themselves to standardisation and which parts lend themselves to a more flexible and person-centred approach. There may be points in the pathway where the design needs to switch from one approach to another to accommodate the needs of the patients more effectively. What the existing research on the design of pathways tells us is that a ‘one size fits all’ approach may not deliver the desired levels of patient care.
The duration of the study is 24 months. Using observations and interviews with patients, their companions and staff will help us to assess what works, how it works, and what improvements could be made.
REC name
Wales REC 1
REC reference
14/WA/1029
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion