Case management of the kidney transplant recipient

Cost and quality outcome measures were evaluated after the first 2 years following initiation of the case management model of care for kidney transplant recipients. Guided by implementation of a clinical pathway, average total length of stay decreased from 12.7 to 9.2 days over a 2-year period. Average total charges increased by 4%, due to a market adjustment in the standard acquisition fee charged to process the donor organ. Compliance, measured by a self-report tool, revealed perceived difficulty in 2 of 9 domains surveyed: diet and exercise.