Patient-centered care pathways: what does it mean? An integrative conceptual framework to meet the need of an international consensus: a qualitative systematic review protocol

Background: Faced with increased expectations regarding the quality and safety of health care delivery systems, a number of stakeholders are increasingly looking for more qualitative and efficient ways to deliver care. This study is conducted to provide a clear definition of the patient-centered care pathway and its characteristics to meet the need for an international consensus. Methods: This qualitative systematic review aims to perform a systematic synthesis of published evidence concerning (1) the definition of the patient trajectory, patient pathway or patient journey and (2) their characteristics. With a consulting librarian, a comprehensive and systematic search in three databases was conducted (PUBMED, Embase, ABI/Inform), from 1995 to 2020 without language criteria. Eligibility criteria guiding data selection will follow the PICo mnemonic criteria consisting of (1) Population : all types of patients managed by health care delivery systems for an acute or chronic condition regardless of age or condition, (2) Phenomena : studies that contribute to the definition and conceptualization of the concepts of care trajectory, care pathway and patient journey resulting in a theoretical and conceptual contribution, and (3) Context : health care providers include all providers of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care in any geographic area. Two reviewers will independently screen, select, extract data and make a critical assessment of the methodology used with the JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI QARI). Discussion: This systematic review will provide much-needed knowledge regarding patient-centered pathways. The results will benefit clinicians, decision makers, and researchers by giving them a clear and integrated definition and understanding of the patient-centered care pathways and their characteristics to finally meet the need for an international consensus.