Perceived effectiveness of clinical pathway software: A before-after study in the Netherlands.

•CPS was effective from healthcare professionals’ perspective because it increases monitoring of protocol-based working, enhances the efficiency, and provides better overview of tasks.•Executive staff perceived the software as less useful than expected compared to physicians.•Executive staff were less convinced of the ability of the CPS to improve monitoring protocol-based working.•CPS seems to be perceived as more effective for physicians and medical specialists than for executive staff.