Reducing intensive care unit length of stay. A stepdown unit for first-day heart surgery patients

The restructuring of healthcare delivery systems has increased the demand for successful, low-cost, alternative approaches to providing care. The authors detail the design, implementation, and evaluation of one alternative approach for delivery of care to thoracic surgery patients. The authors describe the use of a stepdown unit for the care of patients 24 to 36 hours after cardiothoracic surgery.