Integrating the patient's perspective: patient pathway development across the enterprise.

Two academic medical centers in a newly integrated structure joined to understand better their patients' experience with care processes and to promote increased patient involvement in the plan of care. Through a team approach, a patient pathway was developed using graphic and text elements to illustrate the normal sequence of critical activities and care processes for established clinical pathways at these medical centers. A focus group was held to achieve a higher level of patient input into care coordination issues. Through the integration of the patient's voice into the plan of care, priorities for improvement can be identified.