Integrated care pathways: disease-specific or process-specific?
OBJECTIVE
conventional teaching on integrated care pathways (ICP) suggests that they have to be specific both to a particular setting and to a specific diagnosis. We wished to explore the potential for a generic process-based care pathway.


METHODS
we evaluated three different, disease-specific ICPs in use on a neurological rehabilitation unit to identify prompts common to and differing between them. Variance types and goal outcomes in all three diagnostic groups were compared.


RESULTS
93% of prompts on the care pathway were common to all three diagnostic groups. The prompts that differed were unique to each diagnostic group and provided important guidelines about management.


CONCLUSIONS
in neurorehabilitation, where the process of multidisciplinary care is well defined, it is possible to develop a process-based ICP. Process-based ICPs may not be unique to rehabilitation but may also be relevant to other settings in which patients with differing diagnoses share similar needs.
Edwards
Simon G M
SG
Neurorehabilitation Unit, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London.
Thompson
Alan J
AJ
Playford
E Diane
ED
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019091:Critical Pathways; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome