[An economic evaluation on the clinical pathway for gastrectomy].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the costs of gastrectomy patients treated with the clinical pathway.


METHODS
Seventy-six patients (path group 44, control 32) had undergone gastrectomy in our hospital in 2001. The clinical pathway included the same care map. Treatment costs were estimated from medical cost receipt data. The economical analysis was performed from the point of the direct cost payer's view.


RESULTS
The length of hospital stay in the path group was 27.1 +/- 5.9 days and decreased 8.3 days in comparison with the control(p < 0.001). The cost of the path group was 145.290 +/- 23.773 points and 19.278 points less than the control(p < 0.005). In the path group the operation case per bed was increased 30% and the cost per bed was also increased 15% more than the control.


CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of the clinical pathway decreased the length and the cost of hospital stay. The clinical pathway is effective to use the hospital resources, such as bed.
Kiyama
Teruo
T
Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School.
Tajiri
Takashi
T
Yoshiyuki
Toshiro
T
Mizutani
Takashi
T
Okuda
Takeshi
T
Fujita
Itsuro
I
Masuda
Gotaro
G
Kato
Shunji
S
Matsukura
Norio
N
Tokunaga
Akira
A
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D019091:Critical Pathways; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics*