[Reference care plans and clinical pathways, from standardisation to personalisation]

The reference care plan and clinical pathway are complementary tools. Their implementation, once the method is acquired, is a real scientific approach. It formalises a clinical reasoning shared between the professionals involved in the patient's care. These tools are quality reference guides which give meaning to the caregiving activity. They help to consolidate competencies. This approach guides the clinical judgement and reasoning of caregivers. It is a health care decision support tool. This collective work is the result of reflective practice and is built on experiential knowledge.