Introduction - The key role of the patient care pathway

To achieve a truly “Whole System” perspective in commissioning services requires us to begin from a different starting point – the patient and his or her needs for support over time.

Mapping the patient pathway enables a focus on these priorities and provides the opportunity to understand the key linkages between different elementsof the services that need to come together to provide seamless care.

It specifically needs to recognise the contributions of family members and other carers, and of non-NHS agencies. It ensures that commissioning priorities are grounded in practical and specific interventions for the benefit of patients.

Comparison of the care pathway before and after changes provides a clear and easily communicable way of demonstrating improvements for patients.

Looking at issues across the whole local health community along the care pathway may highlight where inequities are occurring that cause health inequalities, revealing cumulative effects of unequal access to services along the patient’s journey through primary prevention, secondary prevention, acute and chronic care.

Resources

Case study Using the patient pathway: Northumberland Care Trust

Case Study Commissioning Model Thurrock PCT

Modernisation Agency resources Service Improvement Leaders’ Guides