A Clinical Pathway for Congestive Heart Failure

Part II of a study that compared two groups of elderly home health patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) is presented. One group’s plan of care was guided by a clinical pathway while the other group’s was not. As described in the first part of the study (published last month), the rehospitalization rate in the group not on the clinical pathway was 22.9% versus 12.5% in the clinical pathway group, a 45% reduction. In this article the pathway is presented, intermediate patient outcomes are described, and selected variables are analyzed for their impact on rehospitalization.