Pathways for Head and Neck Surgery: A Patient-Education Tool

Surgical treatment for head and neck cancer includes a variety of complex operative procedures. Patients scheduled for these operations often are presented with overwhelming amounts of information. Even after participating in the multi-disciplinary, preoperative teaching process, they may be unable to fully comprehend the treatment plan. Pathways for head and neck surgery were designed to facilitate the patient-and family-education process and assist the patient in navigating through the surgical experience. This article discusses head and neck surgery pathway development, implementation, and outcome evaluation.