▁scope ▁from ▁simple ▁medic ation ▁util ization ▁to ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁treatment ▁plan . ▁C lin ical ▁path ways ▁aim ▁for ▁greater ▁standard ization ▁of ▁treatment ▁reg im ens ▁and ▁sequ encing ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁improved ▁out comes , ▁from ▁both ▁a ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁and ▁a ▁clin ical ▁out comes ▁perspective . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁clin ical ▁path way ▁concept ▁appeared ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁Medical ▁Center ▁( B oston , ▁United ▁States ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁inspired ▁by ▁Kar en ▁Z ander ▁and ▁Kath le en ▁B ower . ▁C lin ical ▁path ways ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁adaptation ▁of ▁the ▁documents ▁used ▁in ▁industrial ▁quality ▁management , ▁the ▁standard ▁operating ▁procedures ▁( S OP s ), ▁whose ▁goals ▁are : ▁Im pro ve ▁efficiency ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁resources . ▁Fin ish ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁set ▁time . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁C lin ical ▁path ways ▁( integr ated ▁care ▁path ways ) ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁application ▁of ▁process ▁management ▁thinking ▁to ▁the ▁improvement ▁of ▁patient ▁health care . ▁An ▁aim ▁is ▁to ▁re - center ▁the ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁overall ▁journey , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁contribution ▁of ▁each ▁special ty ▁or ▁car ing ▁function ▁independently . ▁Instead , ▁all ▁are ▁emphas ised ▁to ▁be ▁working ▁together , ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁as ▁a ▁cross - function al ▁team . ▁ ▁More ▁than ▁just ▁a ▁guid eline ▁or ▁a ▁protocol , ▁a ▁care ▁path way