2004 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 147-152
We can do more standardized, cost-effective, and qualified patient care by management with care pathways. Inpatient database during the recent period of 10 months was analyzed. The whole cases were classified into categories by diseases and the rate of use of care pathways was evaluated. An inpatient data sheet, including pathway data was made. Fifty-eight kinds of care pathways were used in our hospital (11 for gastroenterological disease, 11 for cardiac disease, 1 for neurological disease, 7 for renal disease, 11 for general surgery cases, 6 for cardiac surgery cases, and 11 for orthopedic surgery cases). Care pathways were used in 37% among 2,874 patients (26% of gastroenterological disease cases, 56% of cardiac disease cases, 28% of neurological disease, 10% of renal disease cases, 37% of general surgery cases, 41% of cardiac surgery cases, and 53% of orthopedic surgery cases). The inpatient data sheet was very useful to estimate the number of patients covered by newly developed care pathways in advance.
