Linked Life Data

7486490

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/7486490

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
12
pubmed:dateCreated
1995-12-14
pubmed:abstractText
In an era of increasing competition in medical care, critical pathway guidelines have emerged as one of the most popular new initiatives intended to reduce costs while maintaining or even improving the quality of care. Developed primarily for high-volume hospital diagnoses, critical pathways display goals for patients and provide the corresponding ideal sequence and timing of staff actions for achieving those goals with optimal efficiency. Despite the rapid dissemination of critical pathway programs in hospitals throughout the United States, many uncertainties remain about their development, implementation, and evaluation. In addition, serious concerns have been raised about their effect on patient outcomes and satisfaction with care, physician autonomy, malpractice risks, and the teaching and research missions of many hospitals. Underlying these concerns is the absence of data from controlled trials to evaluate the effects of critical pathways. Physicians should understand the potential benefits and problems associated with critical pathways because physicians are increasingly being asked to provide leadership for pathway programs. Physicians and other health service investigators should also develop methods to study pathways in evolving health care settings. Although the promise of reduced costs and improved quality is enticing, the gaps in our knowledge about critical pathways are extensive; therefore, like any new health care technology, pathway programs should be fully evaluated in order to understand the conditions under which that promise may be fulfilled.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0003-4819
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
123
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
941-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Critical pathways as a strategy for improving care: problems and potential.
pubmed:affiliation
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't