An alternative approach for neonatal clinical pathways

Defining a generic plan of care for neonatal intensive care patients seems like an impossible task. Many institutions have elected to purchase plans already developed by other practitioners. Implementing these plans can be a frustrating and discouraging experience. In our organization, administration supported multidisciplinary development of pathways, enabling us to review current practice and recommend enhancements in care provision that maintained quality while reducing resource utilization. This article describes how the staff in our 45-bed, Level III NICU, staffed with attending neonatologists, approached the challenge of defining care practices for a diverse patient population.