Draw Your Own Pathway: A Participatory Workshop to Map and Reflect on National Care Trajectories for NCDs

Backgound: Health systems across Europe are under increasing pressure to deliver integrated, person-centred care for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). While a growing body of research addresses specific healthcare challenges, the broader system context in which these challenges and solutions are situated is often described in fragmented or inconsistent ways. This limits the ability to compare approaches across countries, identify structural gaps, and assess the transferability of effective practices. Could what works in one health care system also work in another?

To address this gap, the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI) project developed a novel methodology to map care trajectories for NCDs. This approach distinguishes between the healthcare trajectory (the formal design of care delivery), the care trajectory (structured programmes for defined populations), and the patient journey (the lived experience of navigating care). By focusing on how systems are intended to function, rather than solely on patient experiences, the methodology provides a structured, visual, and comparative framework for analysing care integration.

To date, twenty care trajectories have been mapped across fourteen European regions. Each mapping was co-created with local stakeholders, including policymakers, practitioners in primary and secondary care, and researchers. The pathway mapping methodology has proven particularly valuable in supporting pilot projects that target specific segments of care and require a clear understanding of the broader system context. It facilitates a common language for reflection and planning, which has helped strengthen collaboration between professionals and organisations involved in care delivery.

The process revealed promising examples of integration that may be transferable across contexts, as well as significant variation in how care is organised. It also highlights points where populations may drop out of care, offering insights into structural inequalities. If you are designing integrated care interventions, the diagrams can help you identify comparable health systems that have addressed similar challenges and draw on their experience to inform your own strategies.

Audience: Everyone who has some understanding of their local health care system can participate.

Approach: This interactive workshop invites participants to apply the JACARDI methodology to their own national or regional context through the “Draw Your Own Pathway” exercise.

Participants will

• Be introduced to key concepts, including healthcare trajectory, care trajectory, and patient journey.
• Use a simplified questionnaire to describe how care for NCDs is structured in their setting
• Create a visual pathway diagram using provided templates
• Reflect on strengths, challenges, and structural barriers to equitable care

Session Outline

• Introduction and example
• Country-based group work
• Cross-country small group discussions
• Group presentations
• Feedback and closing reflection

Expected Outcomes

Participants will leave with a visual representation of their country’s care pathway and a clearer understanding of how system design, policy, and practice align or diverge. They will also learn a methodology that they can apply in other (cross-country) research. The workshop builds capacity to analyse and improve care integration and supports the development of better care trajectories.