Is there a future for pathways? Five pieces of the puzzle

In this discussion and opinion paper, the Bureau members of the European Pathway Association present five challenges for the future of care pathways. Pathways will have to be based on the latest available evidence and international databases, and tools will have to be available. If pathways have a future, the organisations should focus on disease-specific oriented care. Evidence-based pathways, which are organised in a disease-specific oriented organisation, can lead to improvement of quality and efficiency but only if we invest in real teamwork. As a fourth challenge, the need for technical support of pathways is presented. The last piece of the future pathway puzzle is the need for patient involvement. Pathways will only lead to continuous improvement if we finally see patients as real partners in care organisation.