I am not surprised by the healthcare in mental hospital story Gregg posted. When there is a lack of useful measurement-based models to provide constructive feedback, decision support, and procedural guidance, there is a lack of data with which to evolve a system through continuous quality improvement. 

An example of how the ex-patient's experience in the hospital could have been greatly improved is if it implemented clinical pathways, also known as care pathways, integrated care pathways, critical pathways, or care maps. These methods play a crucial role in managing healthcare quality by standardizing care processes. 

Clinical pathways are document-based tools that bridge the gap between evidence-based knowledge and clinical practice. They provide structured, step-by-step recommendations for managing specific medical conditions or interventions. Their primary goals are to reduce variation, improve quality of care, and maximize outcomes for specific patient groups.

They typically take a multidisciplinary approach that structures the pathways via interdisciplinary plans of care. These care plans are based on an algorithm, guideline, protocol, or other inventory of actions. In addition to clinical outcomes, rates of plan adherence and non-adherence are measured, as are the reasons for nonadherence, possible alternative approaches, and other improvement recommendations. 

This exemplifies how clinical practice, empirical science, and AI tools work together to build, disseminate, and continually evolve profound knowledge for the betterment of all.

Steve Beller

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