Developing a critical pathway for vascular access management. Case study of the anemic patient

Critical pathways define the essential components of care that must occur within a specific time period to achieve a desired outcome. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a multidisciplinary critical pathway was developed to manage vascular access procedures. Before the pathway was instituted, the average cost for an inpatient vascular access procedure ranged from $10,000 to $20,000. After the pathway had been used for eighteen months, 95% of these procedures were done on an outpatient basis, and the average cost had decreased to between $4,000 and $5,000. A subjective survey revealed an increase in patient and family satisfaction with provided services.