Learning is fundamental: the impact of education on successful clinical pathway implementation.

Successful implementation of a clinical pathway program is a complex, multifaceted task. Medical and hospital staff education is often overlooked or minimized during the implementation process. Even with a clinically sound pathway and a state-of-the-art variance-tracking system, implementation can fail miserably if the medical and hospital staff do not completely understand and support the pathway initiative. A well-developed plan for education provides staff members with the foundation they need to be successful within the pathway program.