Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
FrancoAngeli Journals

Saggi

No. 129 (2024)

The “Snail Model”: Mapping the patient journey through an experiential standpoint

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/mesa2024-129oa18725
Submitted
ottobre 24, 2024
Published
2025-02-07

Abstract

Background
Patient journey mapping is widely considered a helpful tool to enhance the patient experience by supporting practitioners in the provision of patient-centered care.


Purpose
The ultimate goal of this paper is to introduce an all-encompassing framework that integrates the experiential
dimension of care into the major phases of the patient journey, as well as identify how different patterns of behavior may influence the therapeutic path.


Methodology
The analysis is divided into two parts. The first involves the theory adaptation of a marketing framework to healthcare in the context of the Experience Economy.
The second consists of the theoretical conceptualization of a patient journey map called the “Snail Model”.


Findings
The results show how the interaction between health literacy and involvement may unearth four typologies of patients: resigned, informed, expert, and responsible. Furthermore, the following stages of the patient journey are identified: i) health communication policies and prevention programs; ii) health service access and diagnostic process; iii) patient involvement and therapeutic adherence; iv) doctor-patient communication failure and therapeutic non-adherence.


Practice implications
It is crucial for practitioners to adopt an experiential standpoint when providing care. The theories presented in this study should assist them in clustering patients according to their behaviors, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of the patient journey.


Conclusion
The NHS should ensure effective prevention programs, equal access to healthcare, and adherence to treatments.
Overall, patient involvement is essential to improving the quality of care and the whole patient experience.

References

  1. Anderson R.T., Camacho F.T. & Balkrishnan R. (2007). Willing to wait? The influence of patient wait time on satisfaction with primary care. BMC Health Services Research, 5: 1-5. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-7-31 [last access: 19/11/2023].
  2. Barlow J. et al. (2002). Self-management approaches for people with chronic conditions: a review. Patient Education and Counseling, 48(2): 177-187. DOI: 10.1016/s0738-3991(02)00032-0 [last access: 23/11/2023].
  3. Baumann L.C. & Karel A. (2013). Prevention: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary. In: M.D. Gellman & J.R. Turner (edited by). Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. New York: Springer, pp. 1532-1534.
  4. Beleffi E., Mosconi P. & Sheridan S. (2021). The Patient Journey. In L. Donaldson et al. (edited by). Textbook of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management. Cham: Springer, pp. 117-127.
  5. Bravo P. et al. (2015). Conceptualising patient empowerment: a mixed methods study. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1): 252. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-015-0907-z [last access: 30/10/2023].
  6. Chakrabarti S. (2014). What’s in a name? Compliance, adherence, and concordance in chronic psychiatric disorders. World Journal of Psychiatry, 4(2): 30-36. DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v4.i2.30 [last access: 30/10/2023].
  7. Coulter A. (2011). Engaging patients in healthcare. London: Open University Press.
  8. Davies E.L. et al. (2023). Reporting and conducting patient journey mapping research in healthcare: A scoping review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79: 83-100. DOI: 10.1111/jan.15479 [last access: 15/03/2024].
  9. Domenighetti, G. et al. (2010). Ability to pay and equity in access to Italian and British National Health Services. European Journal of Public Health, 20(5): 500-503. DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckq001 [last access: 19/11/2023].
  10. Gupta D. & Denton B. (2008). Appointment scheduling in health care: Challenges and opportunities. IIE transactions, 40(9): 800-819. DOI: 10.1080/07408170802165880 [last access: 19/11/2023].
  11. Hanna T.P. et al. (2020). Mortality due to cancer treatment delay: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 371, m4087. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m4087 [last access: 07/03/2023].
  12. Hickmann E., Richter P. & Schlieter H. (2022). All together now – patient engagement, patient empowerment, and associated terms in personal healthcare. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1): 1116. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08501-5 [last access: 10/11/2023].
  13. Hovstadius B. & Petersson G. (2011). Non-adherence to drug therapy and drug acquisition costs in a national population – a patient-based register study. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1): 326. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-11-326 [last access: 07/03/2023].
  14. Julius R.J., Novitsky M.A. & Dubin W.R. (2009). Medication adherence: a review of the literature and implications for clinical practice. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 15(1): 34-44. DOI: 10.1097/01.pra.0000344917.43780.77 [last access: 10/12/2023].
  15. Kardas P., Lewek P. & Matyjaszczyk M. (2013). Determinants of patient adherence: a review of systematic reviews. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 4(91): 91. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2013.00091 [last access: 31/10/2023].
  16. Keshavarzi M.H. et al. (2022). Barriers of Physician-Patient Relationships in Professionalism: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism, 10(3): 199-206. DOI: 10.30476/JAMP.2022.94010.1563 [last access: 10/12/2023].
  17. Leavell H.R. & Clark E.G. (1965). Preventive medicine for the doctor in his community. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  18. Lee S. et al. (2020). Waiting time, communication quality, and patient satisfaction: An analysis of moderating influences on the relationship between perceived waiting time and the satisfaction of breast cancer patients during their inpatient stay. Patient Education and Counseling, 103(4): 819-825. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.11.018 [last access: 30/10/2023].
  19. Levesque J., Harris M.F. & Russell G. (2013). Patient-centred access to healthcare: conceptualizing access at the interface of health systems and populations. International Journal for Equity in Health, 12(1): 18. DOI: 10.1186/1475-9276-12-18 [last access: 14/11/2023].
  20. Lian J. et al. (2019). Long-term cost-effectiveness of a Patient Empowerment Programme for type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 21(1): 73-83. DOI: 10.1111/dom.13485 [last access: 07/03/2023].
  21. Liu C. et al. (2020). What is the meaning of health literacy? A systematic review and qualitative synthesis. Family Medicine and Community Health, 8, e000351. DOI: 10.1136/fmch-2020-000351 [last access: 30/10/2023].
  22. Mahajan A., Tirakotai W. & Masayaanon P. (2023). The hidden costs of universal health coverage: solutions from the fight against catastrophic healthcare expenditure in Thailand. BMJ Global Health, 8, e011932. DOI: 10.1136/ bmjgh-2023-011932 [last access: 19/11/2023].
  23. Major I. (2019). Two-Sided Information Asymmetry in the Healthcare Industry. International Advances in Economic Research, 25: 177-193. DOI: 10.1007/s11294-019-09732-9 [last access: 10/12/2023].
  24. McCarthy S. et al. (2016). An integrated patient journey mapping tool for embedding quality in healthcare service reform. Journal of Decision Systems, 25(sup1): 354-368. DOI: 10.1080/12460125.2016.1187394 [last access: 27/10/2023].
  25. Müskens J.L.J.M. et al. (2022). Overuse of diagnostic testing in healthcare: a systematic review. BMJ Quality & Safety, 31: 54-63. DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012576 [last access: 15/03/2024].
  26. Naghavi S. et al. (2019). Effective factors in non-compliance with therapeutic orders of specialists in outpatient clinics in Iran: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1): 413. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4229-4 [last access: 19/11/2023].
  27. Oben P. (2020). Understanding the Patient Experience: A Conceptual Framework. Journal of Patient Experience, 7(6): 906-910. DOI: 10.1177/2374373520951672 [last access: 27/10/2023].
  28. Pera M.C. et al. (2020). Diagnostic journey in Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Is it still an odyssey?. PLoS ONE, 15(3), e0230677. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230677 [last access: 15/03/2024].
  29. Philpot L.M. et al. (2019). Creation of a Patient-Centered Journey Map to Improve the Patient Experience: A Mixed Methods Approach.
  30. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 3(4): 466-475. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2019.07.004 [last access: 15/03/2024].
  31. Pine J.B. & Gilmore J.H. (1998). Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review, 76(4): 97-105.
  32. Pine J.B. & Gilmore J.H. (2001). Welcome to the experience economy. It’s no longer just about healing: patients want a personal transformation. Health Forum Journal, 44(5): 10-16.
  33. Rawson A., Duncan E. & Jones C. (2013). The Truth about Customer Experience. Harvard Business Review, 91: 1-10.
  34. Santini A., Man A. & Voidăzan S. (2021). Accuracy of Diagnostic Tests. The Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 7(3): 241-248. DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2021-0022 [last access: 16/11/2023].
  35. Schouten B. et al. (2022). Experiences and perspectives of older patients with a return visit to the emergency department within 30 days: patient journey mapping. European Geriatric Medicine, 13: 339-350. DOI: 10.1007/s41999-021-00581-6 [last access: 15/03/2024].
  36. Simonse L., Albayrak A. & Starre S. (2019). Patient journey method for integrated service design. Design for Health, 3(1): 82-97. DOI: 10.1080/24735132.2019.1582741> [last access: 15/03/2024].
  37. Small N. et al. (2013). Patient empowerment in longterm conditions: development and preliminary testing of a new measure. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1): 263. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-13-263 [last access: 11/12/2023].
  38. The Beryl Institute. <https://www.theberylinstitute.org> [last access: 07/03/2024].
  39. Trebble T.M. et al. (2010). Process mapping the patient journey: an introduction. BMJ, 341. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.c4078 [last access: 15/03/2024].
  40. WHO (2003). Adherence to long-term therapies: Evidence for action. Working paper. Geneva.
  41. WHO (2013). Health Literacy: The solid facts. Working Paper. Copenhagen.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...