Introduction to the Patient Pathway Analysis
The patient pathway analysis (PPA) methodology was developed to better understand the alignment between patient care seeking and health service availability. The results can inform programmatic priority setting and planning for more patient-centered availability of services.
The PPA aims to describe the steps TB patients take from the initial point of seeking care to the point of being cured. At the same time, the analysis reviews the availability of TB screening, diagnosis, and treatment at various levels of the health system.
By examining the alignment of care seeking with service availability, the PPA may reveal where TB patients experience delay during care seeking or treatment initiation, access inappropriate care, or are lost to follow-up during their journey toward cure. The intent of the PPA is to help national tuberculosis programs more accurately identify some of the health systems alignment gaps that can be addressed through targeted program interventions.