Patient Journeys are info-graphical overviews that visualize patients’ needs in the care of their rare disease. Because Patient Journeys are designed from the patient’s perspective, they allow clinicians to effectively address the needs of rare disease patients.
Patient Journeys consider that patients’ needs may differ at different stages of the disease – e.g., initial symptoms vs. treatment. They also reflect the patients’ personal experiences, which may vary depending on the person, clinic and country.
ERN-RND considers Patient Journeys working documents that patients and clinicians can use together to identify gaps in care and adapt care pathways to better meet the needs of patients living with these conditions. Patient Journeys can therefore be seen as a first step toward systematic patient engagement in the design of care pathways.
In addition, Patient Journeys are a useful resource for patients, families, non-specialist clinicians, and the general public to understand the care needs of patients living with a rare neurological disease.
The Patient Journey for Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood was developed together with the ERN epiCARE and the patient organization AHC18+.
You can download the infographic and table as pdf file by clicking on the images.