Improving
Care with
Metro Mapping

Step 1

Mapping the existing care path.

Step 2

Create Metro Map using easy to use templates for Microsoft Visio.

Step 3

Analysis of the needs of patients and healthcare professionals.

Step 4

Collaboratively shape improvements to the care pathway.

Stap 5

Develop interventions that help patients and healthcare professionals.

Improving care with Metro Mapping

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Metro Mapping is a service design method by which care pathways can be designed and optimised. Metro Mapping can be used to improve patient experience and help with clinical challenges, for example, around shared decision making, patient value creation and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Method

The Metro Mapping method starts with an analysis of the current care path and needs of stakeholders. After this, a new care path is designed and realised together with stakeholders.

Patient

Metro Map

The Metro Map is a clear and structured way of representing a care pathway. This tool is used during Metro Mapping to visualise the current care path and areas for improvement. The tool is then used to design the new care path.

The Metro Map illustrates four themes of a care pathway: the steps in the care pathway, the information exchanged with the patient, the healthcare professionals involved and the environment in which the care takes place.

These four themes are shown in separate layers in the Metro Map. A fifth and top layer shows patients' and loved ones' experiences of care.

Using Metro Mapping

When care pathways are clearer for patients, relatives and their carers, everyone can participate and collaborate better. That is why Metro Mapping is open access, meaning free to use for anyone who wants to use it. The use falls under the Creative Commons description' CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 '

Do you want to use Metro Mapping to optimise a care pathway? The manual will guide you through the methodology.
View the manual

Research

Metro Mapping was developed by Ingeborg Griffioen as part of her PhD research at TU Delft and LUMC. This research focused on supporting collaborative decision making in oncology using service design.

Partners in the study are Erasmus MC, Radboudumc, Living with Hope, the Head Neck Patient Association and Panton. The development of Metro Mapping was made possible with support from KWF Kankerbestrijding.

In the video below, Ingeborg explains in 15 minutes what service design is, what research was conducted in hospitals that led to the Metro Mapping methodology and how a Metro Map is constructed.

Foundation

The Metro Mapping Foundation's mission is to improve and promote healthcare and the well-being of patients, their loved ones and caregivers through the methodology of Metro Mapping.

When care pathways are clearer for patients, relatives and their caregivers, everyone can participate and collaborate better. We see that the service design methodology Metro Mapping contributes to improving often complex care pathways. The Metro Mapping Foundation is therefore committed to stimulating scientific research, further development and application of this methodology in healthcare.

Ingeborg griffioen

26 april 1971 – 13 april 2022

  • Design researcher and creator of Metro Mapping
  • Service designer and founder of design studio Panton.
  • Experience expert as carer and patient

Using the lived experiences for re-designing care pathways

Watch video

Results

Metro Mapping is used by several healthcare organisations and service designers for various oncology care pathways. Among others, for the care pathways of prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, breast and lung cancer.

Metro Mapping has helped improve understanding of existing processes and care pathways. The Metro Map has made implicit knowledge visible. The different layers show the relationship between the steps in the care pathway, the information exchange, the team and the context. The systematic and patient-oriented approach contributes to seeing opportunities to make care more personalised.

By putting Metro Mapping into practice, we have learnt a lot. We use those lessons to further develop the method and tools.

Metro Mapping is part of a European research project, 4D Picture. Within this project, solutions are being developed and researched that make patients and loved ones more aware of their choices.

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Collaborative parties

Contact

Service design

Service design is a field within design in which not one product but complete services are developed (or existing services are improved). Service designers work in the design process together with customers and the service provider. They use design methods to develop solutions for everything that is involved in service provision: the contacts between customers and service provider, the process and also all kinds of information and products that are used in the service provision. Service design is used to develop a user-friendly and consistent service that contributes to a predetermined goal.

Metro Mapping is a service design method with which care paths are (re)designed. A care path is the service that arises between a care organization and patients. Metro Mapping is being developed to support shared decision-making in a care path.