Why the study?
Does nursing case management using a critical pathway reduce length of hospitalization and hospital charges in cardiac transplant patients?
Does nursing case management using a critical pathway reduce length of hospitalization and hospital charges in cardiac transplant patients?
Implementation of a critical pathway for cardiac transplant patients significantly reduces ICU days, total hospital length of stay, and hospital charges without compromising safety.
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Associated with shorter ICU/hospital stays and lower charges in cardiac transplant; leaves open need for randomized confirmation before practice change.
A critical pathway is a component of managed care focusing on outcome-oriented, cost-effective care. This retrospective review of 74 cardiac transplants in 72 patients evaluated the influence of critical pathways on clinical management, length of hospitalization, and hospital charges. Transplant patients were divided into group 1 (n=51), which received standard primary nursing care, and group 2 (n=23), which received nursing case management using a critical pathway. The number of intensive care unit days for group 2 was significantly smaller than for group 1, as were duration of hospitalization and hospital charges. The critical pathway provided for systematic delivery of care and decreased length of hospitalization and charges without compromising safety or quality.
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Noedel et al. (1996) studied this question.
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