Process mapping the patient journey: an introduction

What information does process mapping provide and what is it used for?

Process mapping allows us to “see” and understand the patient’s experience3 by separating the management of a specific condition or treatment into a series of consecutive events or steps (activities, interventions, or staff interactions, for example). The sequence of these steps between two points (from admission to the accident and emergency department to discharge from the ward) can be viewed as a patient pathway or process of care.4

Improving the patient pathway involves the coordination of multidisciplinary practice, aiming to maximise clinical efficacy and efficiency by eliminating ineffective and unnecessary care.5 The data provided by process mapping can be used to redesign the patient pathway4 6 to improve the quality or efficiency of clinical management and to alter the focus of care towards activities most valued by the patient.

Process mapping has shown clinical benefit across a variety of specialties, multidisciplinary teams, and healthcare systems.7 8 9 The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement proposes a range of practical benefits using this approach (box 1).6