Aim and objectives:

The focus on health literate organisations highlights the need for them to facilitate a coherent and smooth journey for users of the health system. Patient journey mapping (see example below) is a way to visualise and obtain an overview of patient experience during their entire care journey. 

 Method:

A patient journey map (also known as health system customer journey map) is an outline of all the touchpoints a patient goes through in their care journey in a health system facility. This includes all the touchpoints pre-, during, and post-visit. 

 Outcome:

This method provides insights into patient experiences during their care journey in a health system facility and the patient flow in general to create strategies to improve the quality of care, increase efficiency, and improve patient satisfaction.

 Added value:

Patient journey mapping is an increasingly valuable tool for health organisations and companies of all types and sizes, for many applications. The benefits include highlighting the obstacles patients face in accessing care; define how to deliver a better patient experience during treatment; and identify ways to support patients after treatment ends.

Figure: Example of health system customer journey map