At OVSP we work on Healthcare Systems, Networks and Pathways, with our primary focus on Systems. We would define these terms in healthcare as follows:
- Systems – What is being delivered (as defined by patient outcomes)
- Networks – Who is delivering the care
- Pathways/services – How the care is delivered
The networks and pathways/services are the variables that can be modified to affect the system. OVSP focuses on systems because differences in demography, local politics, and resources preclude the ability to have a one-size fits all solution for the “who/how” of care delivery but we can still have one system specification that all networks and pathways/services can adhere to; the system can be seen as a normalising factor because all patients for a given condition will need the same outcomes, how those outcomes are delivered and who delivers them can certainly be different.
The design methodology relies on working with multi-stakeholder groups that include the key stakeholders in the care pathway (i.e. patients, GPs, specialists, nurses, para-health professionals, IT, commissioners, etc.) to design ideal population-based systems of care that deliver value to patients. Below is a summary of the 10 keys steps in designing a system specification.
Design Methodology – 10 Steps to design a population based system: