Therapist driven protocols: a look back and moving into the future.
Therapist-driven protocols have been shown to decrease the duration of mechanical ventilation, reduce cost, length of stay, and improve the rate of weaning when compared with physician-directed weaning. This article describes protocols used at the author's institution. It describes how the respiratory therapy service interacts with other services within the hospital to provide the optimal outcome for the patient.
Koch
Rudolph L
RL
Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620, USA. rudolph_koch@urmc.rochester.edu
D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*