Evaluating the patient journey approach to ensure health care is centred on patients.
BACKGROUND
In order to become more patient focused, the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust developed the 'patient journey' approach, which was a 'comprehensive practice development/service improvement' model.


OBJECTIVE
For an 'outsider' (a newly qualified nurse with personal experiences as a patient) to implement a new patient journey in an unrelated hospital trust, to enable an impartial and independent evaluation of the model.


METHODS
This was an action-research study, with data collected through a variety of sources such as matrix sampling, project team meetings, mapping and semi-structured qualitative interviews.


RESULTS
Participants spoke extremely highly of the care received, while interviews revealed more insightful and sometimes distressing information. A number of changes to service delivery were made as a result, including the introduction of a dedicated telephone line giving patients direct contact with the vascular nurse practitioner.


CONCLUSIONS
The most notable attributes of the patient journey approach are: giving patients a 'voice'; enhancing collaborative multidisciplinary teamwork; shared ownership and decision-making; providing evidence to substantiate change; and achieving results.


CONCLUSIONS
The City Hospitals Sunderland patient journey approach is an effective, patient-centred, collaborative service improvement model.
Baron
Sue
S
School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University.
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006113:United Kingdom