Care Plans in Subflow
Last updated About 4 hours ago
A care plan is a reusable blueprint that defines how care is delivered across a clinical program, such as Total Joint replacement. It contains one or more phases, each with ordered steps and associated tasks, and defines the full patient journey from enrollment to completion.
Each step in a care plan may include any combination of the following:
Patient-facing interactions such as SMS, email, or portal messages
Educational content delivery
Patient engagement tracking on delivered content (links opened, materials viewed)
Surveys, forms, and patient-reported outcome (PRO) collection
Internal and external tasks assigned to staff or third parties
Decision logic and branching conditions
Milestones and completion criteria
Care plans are defined once as a standard protocol, then applied to every patient in that program. Each patient follows the same structure but progresses at their own pace. This means the same care plan can be used across your entire patient population for a given condition or program.
In Subflow, care plans also provide a visual layer that shows exactly where each patient is in their journey, a level of visibility that is difficult to achieve with manual tracking methods. Most users will interact with care plans primarily through this view, but the structure running underneath it is what makes consistent, automated care delivery possible
Why care plans matter
Care plans give clinical teams the visibility and consistency they need to manage patients across complex, multi-phase programs.
Shared visibility: Everyone on the team sees the same information. Progress is visible without asking colleagues or searching through individual contact records.
Reduced manual tracking: Without a care plan, staff rely on manual notes, spreadsheets, or memory to know where each patient is and what they still need.
Repeatable care programs: A care plan that works well can be defined once and applied to every new patient with the same condition or care pathway.
Fewer patients falling through the cracks: Consistent structure across the patient population reduces the risk of missed steps between visits.
Care plans and workflows
Care plans and workflows are closely connected, but they serve different purposes. A care plan is the visualization layer. It shows you where patients are in their journey and tracks their progress through each phase.
A workflow is the automation engine. It runs in the background, sending messages, creating tasks, and moving patients forward based on defined rules and events. Workflows power care plans but can also exist independently of them.
The table below shows the key differences between the two.
One way to think about it: the workflow is what happens behind the scenes to move a patient through their care. The care plan is what you see when you want to check on that progress.
Real-world examples
Care plans apply across many types of clinical programs. The examples below show how a care plan might be used in practice.
COPD management program: A healthcare organization enrolls all patients with a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) in a care plan with three phases: Week One, Week Two, and Week Three. Each phase has a series of virtual visits. The care team can see at a glance which patients have completed each visit and which still have pending steps.
Post-surgical recovery: A surgical center uses a care plan to track patients after an operation. The care plan is divided into phases that match the recovery timeline, such as acute recovery, early mobilization, and active rehabilitation. Staff can see which patients are in each phase and assign tasks for wound checks, symptom monitoring, and follow-up visits.
Chronic care management: A chronic disease program uses a care plan to monitor patients on an ongoing basis. Each phase represents a period of the care program. Tasks prompt staff to check in at the right times, and the care plan view shows which patients are on track and which may need additional support.
Related articles
Understand the Care Plan View: Learn how to read the care plan board, find enrolled patients, and track progress across phases.
Create a Care Plan: Walk through the steps to define a care plan template, set up phases, and enroll your first patient.
Workflows in Subflow: Understand the automation engine that powers care plans and drives patient engagement behind the scenes.