Quality of life as an outcome-based evaluation of coronary artery bypass graft critical paths using the SF-36

The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) may prove to be a useful tool to evaluate the impact of critical paths (path) on discharged patients. Its ability to measure effects of the path must first be evaluated. The purposes of this study are to evaluate the path using the SF-36, and evaluate its ability to measure path outcomes. Subjects cared for through a coronary artery bypass critical path completed the SF-36 and were compared against a similar baseline sample. The specificity to measure the path influence was inconclusive, because comorbidities and activity restrictions present misleading results in the measurement of disability in its current use.