Development of a Model Care Pathway for Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic, life-lasting condition that requires high coordination among different professionals and disciplines. The diagnosis of MG is often delayed and sometimes misdiagnosed. The goal of the care pathway (CP) is to add value to healthcare reducing unnecessary variations. The quality of the care received by patients affected with MG could benefit from the use of CP. We conducted a study aimed to define an inclusive, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary CP for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of MG. The development of the model CP, key interventions, and process indicators is based on the literature review and 85 international MG experts were involved in their evaluation, expressing a judgment of relevance through the Delphi study. 60 activities are included in the model CP and evaluated by the MG experts were valid and feasible. The 60 activities were then translated into 14 key interventions and 24 process indicators. We believe that the developed model CP will help for MG patients to have a timely diagnosis and high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective treatments and care. We also believe that the development of model CPs for other rare diseases is feasible and could aid in the integration of evidence-based knowledge into clinical practice.

Strategies for the implementation of clinical practice guidelines in public health: an overview of systematic reviews

“…Two interventions that were relatively rarely addressed in the included systematic reviews, but with promising results, were care pathway and organizational culture. Care pathway is an intervention that involves the standardization of care processes and its implementation is usually complex, being more frequently used for diseases and high-cost situations [ 76 ]. In the case of our results, most of them came from studies in the cardiovascular area, which could support more comprehensive activities to implement guidelines in this clinical area.…”