Patient Pathways
What is a patient pathway?
The patient pathway encompasses all the steps a patient has on their healthcare journey, including the physicians they visit, the procedures they undergo, and the treatments they begin.
A patient pathway comprises focal, source, and destination providers. Source providers are those who initially treat a patient who, later on, receives a treatment of interest from the focal provider. Destination providers are those who treat a patient that had initially received a treatment of interest from the focal provider.
Analyzing patient pathways and highlighting episodes of significance between providers who are part of a patient’s care continuum allows for referrals to become more meaningful. Specifically, focal providers who understand both their source and destination providers know where to focus their outreach (to receive referrals) and where to analyze the outcomes of other physicians (to decide who to offer as a referral).
How can companies utilize patient pathways in their marketing strategy?
Patient pathways provide insights into which doctors patients with a specific condition visit, when they visit these providers, what procedures they undergo, and the treatments they need. Specifically, the patient pathway provides information regarding the treatments offered by each physician.
Companies within the medtech field can use this information to focus their marketing efforts on the healthcare facilities that would most benefit from their products or services.