The development of a care pathway for the management of Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) was described in a recent publication in Clinical and Translational Allergy (2020;10:8. doi:10.1186/s13601-020-00312-3).
HVA is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide in adults and children. “The aim of the care pathway is to enhance the quality of care by improving risk‐adjusted patient outcomes, promoting patient safety, increasing patient satisfaction, and optimizing the use of resources,” wrote the study authors.
Researchers applied a methodology based on a previously described 8-step method to build the clinical content of an evidence-based care pathway. The steps for the development of the pathway include:
- Selection of an expert panel
- Literature search and selection of recommendations
- Delphi consensus method
- Selection of key interventions
- Translation into a set of clinical indicators
- Flow-diagram development
During development, 317 different clinical activities were extracted from the literature, and 126 were accepted to be valid and possible. The accepted clinical activities were adapted into 123 key interventions, and 6 indicators were produced.
The main objective of the care pathway is to standardize the behavior of professionals for the treatment and follow-up of allergic patients with systemic reactions from Hymenoptera stings to improve outcomes. The 6 indicators developed should be included in daily clinical practice to encourage improved care and assessment of patients.
“Developing the clinical care pathway may facilitate adequate integration of evidence-based knowledge into daily practice,” concluded the study authors.—Lisa Kuhns
