ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates how patient care pathways give the patient the opportunity to choose and plan the 'journey' if we can change patient attitudes by presenting the situation, process and function of the hospital and educatehealthcare professionals in the value of the process. It describes four years of clinical cardiac practice before, during and after the introduction of a patient care pathway in January 2003 and analyses its impact on the working practices, clinical and operational performance of a single surgeon and associated nursing and managerial staff. The introduction of the clinic has had a positive impact on training of junior doctors as the consultant supervises the evaluation of the patient in the clinic. The patient's journey in each clinical area through the POP-in clinic is supported by the named consultant and a named nurse in accordance with clinical governance.
