Three years’ experience of collaborative care pathways on a maxillofacial ward

Collaborative care pathways (CCPs) provide a framework for multidisciplinary patient care. They provide guidelines and a mechanism for audit, and were first introduced at the Regional Unit, Walton Hospital, Liverpool, in November 1994. They have been designed for many surgical groups. Between August 1996 and 31 July 1997, 955 patients were admitted on to the nine established pathways: fractured mandible (n =213), fractured zygoma (n =117), minor oral surgery (n =244), abscess (n =18), examination under anaesthesia (n =73), nasal surgery (n =73), osteotomy (n =80), salivary (n =63), and temporomandibular joint (n =74). The purpose of this article is to report the introduction of CCP in a maxillofacial ward and give results from a one-year audit. CCP have proved to be an extremely useful tool and have several advantages over traditional documentation. They are more accurate, easily computerized, and facilitate audit. They promote the development of guidelines and standardized perioperative care, and this in turn facilitates training and raises standards of care.