Comparison Study on Length of Stay and Readmission Data on Patients Hospitalizedfor a Radical Prostatectomy with and without Clinical Pathway Implementation

摘要

The purpose of this research was to conduct a comparison study on length of stayand readmission data in patients hospitalized for a radical prostatectomy with and without clinical pathway implementation. A retrospective chart review of three study groups was conducted. The first group consisted of all subjects prior to implementation of clinical pathways. The second and third groups consisted of all subjects after implementation of clinical pathways with the third group utilizing clinical pathway documentation forms. Study findings indicated that there was no significant difference between the subject groups in regards to demographic data. However, there was a significant difference in mean length of stay between the groups (F = 19.98, p =0.0001) but no significant difference in total readmissions within 30 days. The development and implementation of clinical pathways is an effective strategy to manage health care costs while maintaining quality in a managed care environment.