[Clinical studies on TUR-P using clinical path: report of 50 cases and review of literature].
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to clarify the usefulness and problems involved in the clinical path of transurethral prostatectomy (TUR-P) in hospital.


METHODS
The subjects consisted of 50 patients, for whom the Department of Urology, Jikei Medical University Hospital introduced its own clinical path and performed TUR-P during a period of 9 months from July 1999 to March 2000. The mean length of hospital stay, rate of postoperative complications, and the medical insurance claims made by these patients were clarified and compared with those of 73 patients before introduction of the clinical path.


RESULTS
With the introduction of the clinical path, the length of hospital stay decreased by an average of 3.4 days and the total medical insurance claims decreased by an average of 18.5%. The rate of postoperative complications before and after introduction was almost equal.


CONCLUSIONS
Our clinical path for TUR-P was well accepted by both patients and comedicals. However, the present medical treatment system in Japan is not as yet prepared to promote the introduction of this clinical path, and it will take some time before this clinical path is introduced on a full scale.
Asano
Koji
K
Department of Urology, Jikei University School of Medicine.
Omono
Hiroshi
H
Sasaki
Hiroshi
H
Miki
Jun
J
Naruoka
Takehito
T
Yamada
Hiroki
H
Maeda
Shigetaka
S
Shimomura
Tatsuya
T
Shiono
Yutaka
Y
Sugaya
Shingo
S
Oishi
Yukihiko
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000191:economics; D016896:Treatment Outcome