Care guidelines: journey through the managed care maze

Home health care agencies face significant challenges as they respond to the changes in reimbursement for health care services. In this era of "out of control" increases in costs for health services, health care managers must ensure the prudent allocation of health care dollars while maintaining adequate quality of services delivered. One method advocated to accomplish this goal is a change from a fee-for-service reimbursement system to a managed care model. The patient care pathway, a formatted time line for interventions and anticipated outcomes, is an important tool for health care agencies in responding to the demands of the managed care model. This article describes the development of a patient care pathway in one home health agency.