Focus group study of service user and carer experience of an integrated care pathway

Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are prearranged processes of care that are being increasingly used to deliver mental health services. The literature to date reveals relatively little about service user and carer experience in relation to their use. This study was completed as part of case study research and focused on the experiences of service users and carers gathered using focus groups, as a unit of analysis. The findings revealed a number of contrasts including the perspective that people did not feel that their care was individualized to them, although among them they had different perceptions of the care process. Conclusions suggest that mental health ICPs need to reflect the relationships between stakeholders, variability of illness and individual ways of living if they are to provide a framework for managing care which is responsive to the needs of people using mental health services.