title: Small hospitals benefit from program investments.
abstract: Hospitals with fewer than 100 beds may find it challenging to get a return on clinical paths or case management program investments. That is why it so important to consider the hospital's managed care goals before embarking on the development of any program designed to improve care coordination. To achieve these goals, the small hospital has several different action plan choices, including: improve preadmission planning, more closely monitor the appropriateness of admissions and continued stays, expand discharge planning, design preprinted physicians' orders or protocols, expand community health services, and expand community-based case management. Most importantly, involvement is needed from physicians, managers, and staff who "own" the clinical process involved.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spath
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets; D002140:California; D019090:Case Management; D003363:Cost Control; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000191:economics; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007449:Investments; D009937:Organizational Objectives