Nursing and the Patient Journey

Patient mapping or patient journey, a tool used to visualize the patient journey, is beneficial in understanding the patient’s experience with healthcare. It highlights what contributes to good care and what does not from the patient’s perspective. Additionally, the concept of the patient journey is used in the context of quality of care to refer to the path a patient takes through the healthcare system. By viewing the journey from the patient’s perspective, the effectiveness and efficiency of care can be improved by eliminating ineffective or unnecessary treatments. This can lead to a redesign of the patient’s journey with the goal of increasing patient satisfaction and improving the quality of care. Achieving this requires healthcare providers to align care with the patient’s perceptions, preferences, and expectations. Understanding the patient experience within the healthcare system is important particularly using patient journey mapping. This involves mapping out the process a patient goes through, from diagnosis to discharge, to identify areas for improvement and to make care more efficient and effective. The focus should be on activities valued by patients to improve patient satisfaction. Process mapping is also used to optimize care processes, but it often lacks a patient-centered approach. The text emphasizes the importance of incorporating patient satisfaction into medical protocols, guidelines, and ethical standards. A care continuum is also preferable from a patient perspective, where care providers maintain continuous contact with their patients to avoid gaps in care and ensure effective care outcomes.