[Introduction and PDCA-Management of a Liaison-Clinical Pathway with Cancer Patients after a Curative Operation]

Abstract

Our hospital was appointed as an Osaka designated cancer care hospital in April 2012. At that time, we introduced the same liaison-clinical pathway with cancer patients after a curative operation in all of Osaka. Based on the management of the plan-do-check-act cycle, we found problems in the clinical pathway. These problems included the following: the clinical pathway was not known, was complicated, was troubling for patients, and not well understood by doctors. To solve these problems, we planned and carried out the following five measures. The first was public information, followed by practice processes, informed consent, patient referral documents, and clinical pathway investigation reports. We were able to promote the use of the liaison-clinical pathway by constantly improving these measures.