title: [An economic evaluation on the clinical pathway for gastrectomy].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School.
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiyama
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshiyuki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Itsuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Gotaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsukura
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
mesh_terms: 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*