What is a Patient Journey?

The patient journey represents the entire sequence of events that a patient experiences within a given healthcare system or across providers, from scheduling an appointment for a regular check-up to receiving treatment for an illness or injury. It identifies patients’ most significant issues with physicians, medications, and caretakers.

Patient journey research encompasses patient flow (how patients move through the process, from symptoms to treatment decisions) and patient experience (how patients are influenced and what they need throughout the process).

Cetas Healthcare’s syndicated research provides a deep dive analysis of the patient journey based on a 5Ps Model:

1. 1. Patient: In-depth information on the patient journey starting with the referral pathway (first point of contact, emergency triage, self-referrals, etc.)
2. 2. Physician: Specialists involved in treating the patient and their role in diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and treatment. Information is also provided in detail on the key selection criteria by physicians for treatment decisions based on a comprehensive qualitative assessment.
3. 3. Provider: Healthcare infrastructure of the region for the treatment of a particular condition. Includes information on a number of hospitals (by urban vs. Rural, primary vs. Secondary vs. Tertiary facilities, cath labs, Ambulatory surgery centers, office-based labs (OBLs), etc.)
4. 4. Payer: information on the insurance models across regions with insights on the reimbursement policies. Information will also be available on recent policy changes, market trends, and their impact on interventional therapy uptake.
5. 5. Policy: Provides a detailed understanding of the key healthcare policies including an insight into the recent impact of COVID-19 on the distribution and supply chain networks across regions. The section also provides information on the treatment guidelines for the indications covered under the scope of each report.

All of this information together provides companies with a clear understanding of a patient’s Care continuum.

How is it performed?

Patient Journey research is typically conducted using qualitative research methodologies, such as in-depth interviews to explore the Hows, whats, and Whys of patient treatment pathways. Information is captured from multiple respondent types involved in the patient journey, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and the patients themselves.

Why is it performed?

Patient journey research is used by companies to support all phases of the product life cycle. It provides companies with insights into patient experiences during diagnosis and treatment in a healthcare facility.