Integrated Care Pathways – what can we do to make them happen?

Integrated Care Pathways (ICPs) are one way of implementing protocol-based care. Healthcare professionals need to draft and implement ICPs in order to meet clinical governance targets. In a two-day workshop ‘Integrated healthcare delivery – let’s get practical’, 27 multidisciplinary delegates from four NHS Modernisation Teams progressed ICPs in the areas of stroke, post-myocardial infarction and heart failure. Good ICPs should include a clear assessment procedure for the clinical condition, consultation with all care providers, guidelines or best available clinical evidence, patient education and an audit tool.