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Consensus pathways: evidence into practice
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- McGeoch, Graham (Author)
- Anderson, Ian (Author)
- Gibson, Juanita (Author)
- Gullery, Carolyn (Author)
- Kerr, David (Author)
- Shand, Brett (Author)
Title
Consensus pathways: evidence into practice
Abstract
HealthPathways is a website that provides general practice teams with guidance on clinical assessment and management of medical conditions, relevant to local services and resources. The website evolved in 2008 as part of changes towards an integrated healthcare system in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The website differs from other clinical guidance websites as the clinical pathways are formulated by local healthcare professionals, health managers, and technical writers. This process is facilitated by a proactive group called the Canterbury Initiative. The website now contains over 570 clinical pathways, with access increasing seven-fold since 2009 (visits/mth; 1053 in 2009 vs. 7729 in 2014). HealthPathways has contributed to the delivery of more care in the community (e.g. primary care spirometry; 1443 measurements in 2014 representing one-quarter of the total number). Introduction of the website has been associated with an improvement in referral quality, more equitable referral triage, and more transparent management of demand for secondary care. Because the website provides relevant localised clinical information required during a patient consultation in an easy-to-use standardised format, it has overcome many of the barriers encountered by other online clinical guidance systems. The website has also acted as a change management tool by disseminating information required for successful integration of health services.
Publication
The New Zealand Medical Journal
Volume
128
Issue
1408
Pages
86-96
Date
Jan 30, 2015
Journal Abbr
N. Z. Med. J.
Language
en
ISSN
1175-8716
Short Title
Consensus pathways
Library Catalog
PubMed
Extra
PMID: 25662382
Link
Notes
Study topic: Description and evaluation of HealthPathways as a locally developed clinical guidance system supporting integrated care in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Study type: Viewpoint / descriptive analysis
Key findings:
- HealthPathways was developed as part of Canterbury’s shift toward an integrated healthcare system, offering locally relevant clinical pathways co-developed by primary and secondary care clinicians.
- The system improved referral quality, enabled equitable triage, and enhanced transparency in managing demand for secondary care.
- General practice teams found the tool easy to use during consultations due to its standardised layout and localised content, increasing engagement and uptake.
- HealthPathways supported development of new community-based services (e.g. spirometry, skin lesion removal), reducing pressure on hospital services.
- Formal audits showed improved referral acceptance rates and reduced waiting times; 60 pathways were audited between 2011 and 2014.
- Surveys indicated HealthPathways strengthened clinician relationships and was widely preferred over prescriptive decision support systems.
- The platform was a valuable communication tool during the Canterbury earthquakes, providing real-time updates across primary care and community services.
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Relevance to HealthPathways: This article provides a foundational evaluation of HealthPathways in Canterbury, demonstrating its role as a change management tool, referral quality enhancer, and vehicle for service integration across the health system.
Citation
McGeoch, G., Anderson, I., Gibson, J., Gullery, C., Kerr, D., & Shand, B. (2015). Consensus pathways: evidence into practice. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 128(1408), 86–96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25662382/
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