Research on the development and management of clinical pathways Ⅰ: theories, methods, processes and suggestions for clinical pathways development

Abstract

The formulation and application of clinical pathways is a process of dynamic improvement and development. The principles of clinical pathways formulation come from multiple disciplines and are constantly enriched and polished in the clinical application of pathways. However, the methodological procedures and reporting standards for the clinical pathway formulation have not been unified internationally. In this paper, we systematically searched and screened the literature on the formulation of clinical pathways, finally determined the methodological literature on the whole process of clinical pathway formulation and comb through the development process in the 5 complete reports. Meanwhile, based on the analysis of the rest of the literature, the suggestions for the clinical pathway formulation process were put forward and discussed to provide reference for hospital managers to develop clinical pathways.

Keywords

• clinical pathway
• development and management
• theory of development
• methodological process