title: Evaluating the patient journey approach to ensure health care is centred on patients.
abstract: 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.
authors: School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University.
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Baron
mesh_terms: 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