Integrated care pathways: pathways to change in health care?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that, if teams in healthcare focus on the patient using the framework of a care pathway, change can occur without the overt need to "manage" it directly.


METHODS
In this paper the relevant literature is reviewed and it is demonstrated that if this approach is used it also provides a means for addressing difficult professional and organisational issues that are often unresolved in broader projects of organisational change. This is not presented as a panacea or the solution to all change projects, rather the contention here is that it is one means among many that can be used to bring about important changes in practice.


RESULTS
The paper finds that care pathways represent a useful tool, which teams can use to work through the contextual and practical issues involved in changing practice.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper describes the development of integrated care pathways, which can be regarded as a fortunate fusion of managerial and professional concerns.
Whittle
Claire
C
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Hewison
Alistair
A
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom