Behandlingskjeden

Behandlingskjeden is a concept in health care that describes the structured sequence of care activities a patient experiences from initial contact to completion of treatment and subsequent follow-up. The aim is to coordinate efforts across levels of care—primary, secondary, and specialized services—so that the patient receives timely, safe, and coherent treatment.

A typical behandlingskjede includes several stages: initial assessment and referral or triage, diagnostic workup, treatment planning, the actual treatment or intervention, discharge or transition of care, and postoperative or post-treatment follow-up. The chain is often organized into care pathways or forløp with predefined responsibilities, timelines, and quality indicators to reduce delays, miscommunication, and unnecessary variation.

Governance and implementation rely on national or regional guidelines, standardized forløp, and information systems. Key elements include multidisciplinary collaboration, patient involvement and informed consent, and secure sharing of health data through electronic health records. Measuring throughput, outcome indicators, and patient satisfaction are common ways to monitor performance and drive improvement.

Behandlingskjeden is applicable across many conditions and settings, including acute and chronic care, elective procedures, rehabilitation, and mental health. Its success depends on clear roles, effective communication, interoperability of IT systems, and continuous quality improvement to adapt to new evidence and patient needs.