Effectiveness of a Clinical Pathway for Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgical Operation on Clinical Outcomes and Costs

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing a clinical pathways (CPs) on the clinical outcomes and costs of patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who were newly diagnosed with primary breast cancer at the Samsung Medical Center between 2014 and 2019 (N=8482; 2931 patients in the pre-path and 5551 patients in the postpath). Clinical outcomes included reoperation during hospitalization, readmission, and emergency room visits within 30 days of discharge. The cost data for each unit were obtained from an activity-based management accounting system. We performed an interrupted time series analysis. Results: The post-path period showed a significantly shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) than the pre-path period (6. 3 days in pre-path vs. 5. 0 days in post-path; -1. 3 days’ difference; p=. 001), and fewer reoperations during hospitalization and within 30 days after discharge than the pre-path period. After adjusting for inflation rates and relative value scores, the model demonstrated savings of 146 per patient in the post-path for total costs, and 537 per patient for patient out-of-pocket costs (p=. 001). Conclusion: CPs can help reduce costs without compromising the quality of care by reducing the number of reoperations, readmissions, and complications.