Optimizing the Team Approach: Designing a Clinical Care Pathway for Functional Neurological Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Functional neurological disorder (FND) presents diverse challenges in pediatric care, impacting healthcare costs.
• Current diagnostic and treatment approaches lack standardization, causing frustration for patients, families, and providers.
• Effective management necessitates multidisciplinary collaboration, yet communication barriers persist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a standardized clinical care pathway for pediatric inpatient functional neurological disorder (FND).
• To improve the diagnostic process, provider education, and patient/caregiver communication for FND.
• To enhance overall care quality, patient outcomes, and satisfaction in pediatric FND management.

Main Methods:

• Utilized quality improvement tools and institutional experience to form a multidisciplinary team.
• Developed a clinical care pathway for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric FND in an inpatient setting.
• Focused on early diagnosis, provider education, consistent language, patient education, and discharge planning.

Main Results:

• The pathway emphasizes early, intentional diagnosis by a specified provider.
• It highlights the importance of provider education, consistent terminology, and comprehensive patient/caregiver education.
• Clear discharge planning is a key outcome of the pathway's design.

Conclusions:

• Implementation of the clinical care pathway is expected to improve patient and provider satisfaction.
• The pathway aims to enhance outcomes and the quality of care for pediatric patients with FND.
• This initiative offers a model for institutional change and global FND management, raising awareness for effective care.