What are the initial perceptions of multidisciplinary personnel new to integrated care pathway development?

Initial perceptions of programmatic shifts are important to gauge if organizational change is to be successful. We used qualitative methods to understand the perceptions of multidisciplinary team members who were responsible for developing integrated care pathways for chronic heart disease in an attempt to improve continuity of care. Members viewed continuity of care as problematic and perceived ICPs as a template for increasing knowledge and enhancing communication. Numerous barriers to ICP use were noted. Information collected in this study may assist others who are developing integrated care pathways.