title: Asthma clinical pathway: an interdisciplinary approach to implementation in the inpatient setting.
abstract: Asthma is a leading cause of admission to the pediatric inpatient setting. Despite advances in the treatment of this chronic condition, morbidity and mortality continue to increase. It is also a source of significant variation in clinical practice and redundancy of care elements across various disciplines involved in the management of patients with asthma. A clinical pathway was developed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The unique approach used to strategize implementation combined the expertise of registered nurses, respiratory therapists, medical staff, and case managers and was a significant factor in the pathway's ultimate success. The result was a more standardized and efficient approach to care. Outcome measurements revealed decreased length of stay with no increase in the re-admission rate and cost savings.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Napoli
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003663:Decision Trees; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation