Clinical pathways in subacute care settings.
There is a dramatic growth of subacute care settings because of mandated shorter hospitalization and the growing older adult population. The cost parameters of a fixed reimbursement model of payment led to development of clinical pathways to enhance quality care, maximize resources and decrease costs, facilitate the patient's recovery and reduce length of stay. Seven essential elements are described that comprise the comprehensive framework, along with suggested criteria.
Colucciello
M L
ML
College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, USA.
Mangles
L M
LM
D000328:Adult; D019091:Critical Pathways; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D010348:Patient Care Team; D019467:Subacute Care