title: Patient advocacy through outcomes management. A cardiac surgery example.
abstract: As we attempt to survive market forces that dominate the health care environment today, nurses must be active participants in finding solutions that improve patient care in a cost-effective manner. In our quest to reduce costs, however, health care providers know first-hand that good patient care is cheaper than bad, with its accompanying complications and readmissions. At our workplace, through our professional organizations, and from our political activities, nurses must offer a loud and unified voice towards the pursuit of patient-focused care. Practices such as early extubation and blood conservation are not only cost effective, they are clearly "the right thing to do."
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ley
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D016294:Models, Nursing; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*