What are pathways of care?
Care pathways are a way of setting out a process of best practice to be followed in the treatment of a patient or client with a particular condition or with particular needs. They are a distillation of the best available expert opinion on the care process and should be evidence based.
Is there a support group for cystic fibrosis?
The Cystic Fibrosis community is a peer-to-peer online support group where patients and their families share their experiences and research the latest medical science for their condition.
Who cares for people with cystic fibrosis?
A pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in the lungs. The pulmonologist will (likely) be the primary doctor on your CF care team. The pulmonologist will make treatment recommendations and be up-to-date on clinical trials for which you may be a candidate.
What is the difference between a care plan and a care pathway?
A care pathway is different from a patient’s care plan A care pathway represents the ideal way to manage a patient population with a specific problem or long-term condition. A care plan is for an individual. The care pathway provides recommendations which should be included and enacted within a care plan.
What are the benefits of care pathways?
Care pathways are developed to manage patient care, improve quality, reduce variation, and increase efficient use of healthcare. They provide a mechanism for integrating evidence-based medicine into clinical practice.
What is the life expectancy for cystic fibrosis?
Many young adults with CF finish college or find jobs. Lung disease eventually worsens to the point where the person is disabled. Today, the average life span for people with CF who live to adulthood is about 44 years. Death is most often caused by lung complications.
How is cystic fibrosis caused?
Causes. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease caused by mutations in a gene called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The CFTR gene provides instructions for the CFTR protein.
What should a person with cystic fibrosis eat?
Like everyone else, guys and girls who have CF should eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, dairy products, and protein. In addition, people with CF have some specific nutritional needs to help them stay healthy.
Do people with cystic fibrosis need carers?
People who have CF need a full medical care team to help manage their physical and emotional health.
How can patient pathways be improved?
Ten lessons for redesigning care pathways
- Start by focusing on a specific population.
- Involve primary care from the start.
- Go where the energy is.
- Spend time developing a shared understanding of problems.
- Work through and thoroughly test assumptions about how activities will achieve intended results.