Developing Clinical Pathways
How do I develop a new clinical pathway?
Before developing a Clinical Pathway, it is necessary to determine if this patient group is suitable. Patient groups which suit the Clinical Pathway model are those patients who follow a predictable course
Determine if it is Appropriate
The most important issue, when determining if a particular patient group is suited to pathway implementation is that there is some form of pattern to their episode(s) of care, and that there is a well defined patient population
In surgical cases, this may mean that the patients have their surgical procedure, then stay for a particular number of days. For a medical case, this may mean that they follow particular phases in their recovery, or the management changes at distinct points. It is not necessary to restrict the time over which the path lasts, or restrict it to one inpatient stay. Pathway methodology can also be used for patients in the community, rehabilitation or palliation.
Speak with your Unit Manager / Department Manager
Ensuring that you have support from you Unit Manager is an important step. You may need some time away from the ward area to spend developing the path, which the Unit Manager may be able to provide. This could also be a good time to speak with the doctors/surgeons involved and any other allied health members who will have a significant input into the path.
Contact The Clinical Path Coordinator
Speak with the Care Coordination Manager so that they can meet with you and discuss each of the steps involved. The Care Coordination Manager should be able to provide you with all the support you need to help you through the process.
Follow the RCH Clinical Path Development / Review Plan
This will provide you with a list of all the steps involved, with provision for setting dates, which can be very important to stay on track. There is also a guide for the review of histories in the development of paths.
The plan must be discussed with the Care Coordination Manager before any work commences. The development / review checklist. The audit checklist
