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 multidisciplinary, 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.