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Asthma clinical pathway: an interdisciplinary approach to implementation in the inpatient setting
K M Welsh1, M Magnusson, L Napoli
1Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA.
Insights
A new clinical pathway for pediatric asthma care reduced hospital stays and costs without increasing readmissions. This standardized approach improved efficiency and patient outcomes in inpatient settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pulmonology
- Healthcare management
- Clinical informatics
Background:
- Asthma is a primary reason for pediatric hospital admissions, with increasing morbidity and mortality despite treatment advances.
- Current asthma care presents significant clinical practice variations and care redundancies among disciplines.
- Standardizing care is crucial for improving outcomes in pediatric asthma management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for pediatric inpatient asthma care.
- To address variations in clinical practice and improve care efficiency.
- To evaluate the impact of the clinical pathway on length of stay, readmission rates, and cost.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary team (nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians, case managers) developed and implemented a clinical pathway.
- The implementation strategy leveraged collaborative expertise for successful adoption.
- Outcome measurements were collected to assess the pathway's effectiveness.
Main Results:
- The implemented clinical pathway resulted in a more standardized and efficient approach to pediatric asthma care.
- Outcome measurements showed a decreased length of hospital stay.
- There was no increase in the re-admission rate, indicating sustained positive outcomes.
- Cost savings were achieved through the optimized care process.
Conclusions:
- A multidisciplinary clinical pathway can effectively standardize and improve the efficiency of pediatric inpatient asthma care.
- The collaborative implementation strategy was key to the pathway's success.
- This approach leads to reduced length of stay and cost savings without compromising patient safety or increasing readmissions.
Abstract:
Asthma is a leading cause of admission to the pediatric inpatient setting. Despite advances in the treatment of this chronic condition, morbidity and mortality continue to increase. It is also a source of significant variation in clinical practice and redundancy of care elements across various disciplines involved in the management of patients with asthma. A clinical pathway was developed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The unique approach used to strategize implementation combined the expertise of registered nurses, respiratory therapists, medical staff, and case managers and was a significant factor in the pathway's ultimate success. The result was a more standardized and efficient approach to care. Outcome measurements revealed decreased length of stay with no increase in the re-admission rate and cost savings.