Patient journeys: the process of clinical redesign

• Clinical process redesign is a successful improvement method that has been used to increase access to health services in 60 public hospitals across New South Wales, and at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) in South Australia. • The method focuses on the patient journey as the primary improvement locus, and uses process mapping to identify the value-adding steps in that journey; it involves redesign teams identifying and eliminating non-value-adding steps to improve flow and reduce delays in access to emergency and elective care. • The method engages clinicians, managers, patients and carers, and delivers real gains in health care delivery. • This article outlines the clinical process redesign programs