Clinical pathways: effects on professional practice, patient outcomes, length of stay and hospital costs. Cochrane Database Systemati Rev. 2010

Note: there are many different comments from a variety of healthcare professionals and more than a normal number of comments

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Clinical pathways are structured multidisciplinary care plans used by health services to detail essential steps in the care of patients with a specific clinical problem. They aim to link evidence to practice and optimise clinical outcomes whilst maximising clinical efficiency. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of clinical pathways on professional practice, patient outcomes, length of stay and hospital costs.
CONCLUSIONS: Clinical pathways are associated with reduced in-hospital complications and improved documentation without negatively impacting on length of stay and hospital costs.