This week I have been running training in Patient Ecosystem Mapping with the Paediatric Team at the NHS Lothian Royal Hospital for Children & Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh. The workshop explored the stages involved in creating a Patient Ecosystem Map, and in particular strategies for:
– Deciding the geography of the map
– Deciding which patient groups to include
– Deciding which pathways to map
Using templates and icon kits we quickly developed outline maps exploring different Patient Ecosystems associated with Paediatric Services at the RHCYP. We then explored the different ways that Patient Ecosystem Maps allow review of a system of healthcare. As always we learnt a great deal about the pressures within healthcare systems and in particular the need for effective collaboration between primary and secondary care. We also learnt about how Patient Ecosystem Maps allow the patient experience to be understood more clearly.