How is a Care Pathway Defined
The European Pathway Association defines a care pathway as: A complex intervention for the mutual decision making and organization of care processes for a well-defined group of patients during a well-defined period.
In simpler terms, care pathways outline the management plan for a specific patient population from start to finish, using evidence-based medicine to ensure standardised best clinical practices. This minimises variation in patient care, utilises up-to-date scientific guidelines, and allows for ongoing audit and review.
Our Guidance
The Coalition’s care pathway assessment method and guidance have been produced to help you critically appraise the environmental sustainability of patient care pathways. By following a structured approach, you can identify carbon hotspots and implement strategies to reduce the overall carbon footprint of healthcare delivery.
Below, we have outlined a step-by-step summary of the process to appraise the environmental sustainability of patient care pathways and guide action to reducing its carbon impact. A downloadable PDF of these 6-steps can be found here along with a worked example.
The Six Steps
What you will need
1. Start defining the care pathway to be assessed
This should include the specific patient group and pathway being appraised and the reason for the appraisal.
2. Create a detailed outline of all activities forming the care pathway
In order to fully appraise a patient care pathway, all clinical interactions and activities within the pathway must be mapped. This includes all distinct healthcare-related events performed for, on behalf of, or by a patient.
3. Group activities into modules
To simplify the appraisal process and identification of hotspot areas, linked activities can be grouped together into care pathway modules. These modules form the building blocks which make up the total care pathway.
To read detailed guidance on individual modules, click below:
How to appraise the chosen care pathway
4. Choose an appraisal method based on the available data and objective
Once the care pathway modules have been mapped, an appraisal of environmental sustainability can be performed in several different ways, depending on the data available and objective of the appraisal.
We have identified three main methods which each serve different purposes:
- High-level overview of the pathway carbon footprint
- Detailed appraisal for a specific module of interest
- Hybrid approach
5. Calculate the carbon footprint based on your appraisal method
- High level appraisal: For a manual calculation, use the SHC Carbon Factors Table to allocate carbon footprint values to each pathway module. Add multiples of modules together to obtain the estimated carbon footprint for the pathway as a whole. Alternatively use the online Carbon Calculator Tool.
- Detailed appraisal: Comprehensive assessment of the carbon footprint for a known carbon hotspot, addressing all activities on an individual basis and calculating the environmental impact of each. Requires detailed data collection and product/activity life-cycle assessment.
- Hybrid approach: This approach offers a useful and pragmatic method that employs a high-level appraisal to quickly screen and identify hotspot areas of concern. It is then supplemented by a detailed appraisal targeted at exploring these hotspots of interest in greater depth. This ensures that resources and effort are focused where they are expected to have the greatest impact on emission reduction efforts.
Taking action with the report findings
6. Interpret the results
Following calculation of the carbon footprint, you can interpret the results, identify any likely carbon hotspots within the pathway and take definitive action to decarbonise these areas.
Visit the next section to learn how to take action with your report findings.