A Primer on Clinical Pathways

Abstract

Leaders in health-system pharmacy are challenged to maintain the highest quality pharmacy service at the lowest cost. Clinical pathways are evidence-based road maps that assist in reducing variations in clinical practice. Integration of clinical pathways within the electronic health record further helps to facilitate evidence-based practice. This article reviews the evolution of the clinical pathways, describes their clinical and economic impact, and identifies ways pharmacy directors can successfully implement these pathways into their institutions. Pharmacy directors can utilize their skills in this area or task clinical pharmacists to serve as members of the clinical pathway development team to further enhance patient-centered pharmacy services.

How does the implementation of a patient pathway-based intervention in the acute care of blunt thoracic injury impact on patient outcomes? A systematic review of the literature

“…Furthermore, pathways in trauma care have been criticised for not providing enough flexibility to account for the diversity in factors such as injury severity and individual patient characteristics. It is important that any evaluation process considers how well a pathway fits the local population and ensures there are sufficient mechanisms in place to allow flexibility and targeted patient care [ 10 , 50 , 51 ]. These factors highlight the need for site evaluation as part of any evaluation of a patient pathway-based intervention, particularly in relation to interventions with higher risk or skills requirements.…”

Pharmacists as Interprofessional Collaborators and Leaders through Clinical Pathways

“…Additionally, it delivered key messages on areas for improvement and demonstrated the flexibility of pharmacists to changes to achieve the desired strategic goals of the institution. Third, it offered leadership opportunities for clinical pharmacists, as stakeholders of therapeutics in the organization, to provide safe and cost-effective medication regimens [ 7 ]. Future studies assessing clinical pathways should describe further practice models for interprofessional collaboration for pharmacists and pharmaceutical services targeting improved clinical outcomes.…”

“…The introduction of CPs in medical institutions was a result of the paradigm shift in the healthcare system from the quantitative aspect to focus on the quality of care and target patient-centered outcomes [ 7 ]. Additionally, the designing of CPs requires the presence of a dedicated team of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals who work collaboratively to develop evidence-based and patient-oriented pathways for high-volume, high-risk, and/or high-cost diagnoses [ 5 , 8 ].…”

Penilaian mutu asuhan keperawatan sebelum dan sesudah penerapan clinical pathway di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat (RSUP) Sanglah, Bali, Indonesia

“…Umum Pusat (RSUP) Sanglah, Bali, Indonesia Para pemangku kepentingan, penyedia layanan kesehatan, manajer serta pengambil kebijakan di bidang kesehatan telah melakukan berbagai upaya untuk meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan kesehatan, salah satunya dengan menetapkan standar praktik klinik berupa clinical pathway. 5,6 Clinical pathway merupakan rencana perawatan multidisiplin berbasis bukti yang terstruktur dan terintegrasi untuk memberikan panduan penatalaksanaan hari perhari dalam perawatan pasien dengan kondisi kesehatan tertentu guna mengatur dan menstandarisasi perawatan klinis pasien secara efektif dan efisien. 7 Penerapan clinical pathway memiliki efek positif terhadap peningkatan kualitas pelayanan kesehatan, meningkatkan kepuasan pasien, mengurangi variasi dalam perawatan klinis, mengurangi morbiditas dan mortalitas serta menjembatani kesenjangan antara praktik klinis dan perawatan berbasis bukti.…”