MRSA Action UK were invited to attend the International Care Pathways Conference in debating the primary goals of care pathways.  Improving the quality and safety of patient care has an added benefit of reducing risks of untoward events, including the acquisition of healthcare infections, and it was a welcome opportunity to debate how developing care pathways can be of significant benefit to aiding a speedier recovery from treatment.

 

The use of baseline data to show the quality of patient care before devising and implementing care pathways was a theme that flowed through many of the presentations.  Developing care pathways in the redesign of patient care, and constantly reviewing and learning from their success was another key theme.  Developing, learning and sharing across hospital trusts was considered an important element of improving the quality of patient care.

 

Of particular interest was the development of electronic care pathways and the use of the Map of Medicine.  Patient care is complex, and the Map of Medicine enables decisions to be made based on researched, evidenced information that provides the best available options where there may be several clinical conditions that need treating.  This includes information on the treatment of MRSA, which can be integrated into the patients care pathway.

 

MRSA Action UK have always heralded the use of integrated care pathways, so that a patient who acquires a healthcare infection has their care mapped and planned, information is available to the patient and their carers, and more importantly that information is available to care givers after they have left hospital.

MRSA Action UK's presentation shows what can happen when care pathways are not in place:

 

A primary goal of care pathways in reducing the length of stay / improving the quality of patient care - Derek Butler, Chair MRSA Action UK

These are some of the presentations outlining best practice in delivering safe, quality care:

 

Supportive Care Pathway in a Hospice - Toni Flanagan

 

Care pathways explained - Dr Ricard Rosique i Jove

 

Clinical Knowledge & Pathways of Care - Parul Desai and Jens Kolind

 

An update from the Liverpool Care Pathway - Professor J Ellershaw

 

Survival Analysis - Seval Kul

 

Lean thinking and Six sigma at the level of Clinical Service Delivery - Hugh Rogers FRCS

 

MRSA Action UK recommended good practice:  The Lincolnshire Care Pathway