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Table 1 Pathway characteristics and quality outcome measures of studies included

From: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of clinical pathways on length of stay, hospital costs and patient outcomes

Pathway

Charac-teristics

  

Quality Measure

Pathway [n/N]

Control [n/N]

Study-ID

multi-disciplinary

evidence-based

protocol/algorithm based

 

Counts and rates are presented in natural units and as percentages as far as reported

N = numer of participants n = number of events (%) = percentage

Invasive Care

      

Grines, CL

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

20/237 (8.4%)

20/234 (8.5%) N.S.

1998

   

Re-hospitalisation (6 months)

10/237 (4.2%)

9/234 (3.9%) N.S.

Swanson, CE

X

Not

X

Hospital mortality

2/38 (5.2%)

2/33 (6.1%) N.S.

1998

 

sure

 

Mean Modified Barthel Index

92.8

85.6 (p < 0.05)

Dowsey, MM

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

10/92 (10.8%)

20/71 (28.1%) (p < 0.05)

1999

   

Re-hospitalisation (3 months)

1/92 (1.1%)

0/71 (0%) N.S.

Choong, PF

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

10/55 (18.2%)

14/56 (25.0%) N.S.

2000

   

Re-hospitalisation (28 days)

2/55 (3.6%)

6/56 (10.7%) N.S.

Aizawa, T

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

1/32 (3.1%)

2/37 (5.4%) N.S.

2002

   

Re-hospitalisation (6 months)

1/32 (3.1%)

0/37 (0%) N.S.

Kiyama, T

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

3/47 (6.4%)

5/38 (13.2%) N.S.

2003

      

Hirao, M

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

19/53 (35.8%)

17/50 (34.0%) N.S.

2005

   

Re-hospitalisation (6 months)

0/53 (0%)

0/50 (0%)

Non-Invasive Care

      

Falconer, JA

X

Not

X

Mortality (12 months)

N.S.

N.S.

1993

 

Sure

 

Re-hospitalisation (12 months)

N.S.

N.S.

    

Cognitive and functional scores (0–100)

N.S.

N.S.

    

Patient satisfaction

7.7 (SD 2.6)

8.8 (SD 1.7) (p < 0.05)

Gomez, MA

X

X

X

Complete and graded exercise test

44/50 (88.0%)

15/50 (30.0%)

1996

      

Roberts, RR

X

X

X

Hospitalised patients as %

(45.1%)

(100%)

1997

   

Re-hospitalisation (8 weeks)

5/82 (6.1%)

4/83 (4.8%) N.S.

Johnson, KB 2000

X

X

X

Unscheduled clinic visits; no hospital re-admission (2 weeks)

0/55 (0%)

2/55 (3.6%)

Kollef, HM

X

X

X

In-hospital complications

9/239 (3.8%)

13/250 (5.2%) N.S.

2000

   

Hospital mortality

5/239 (2.1%)

8/250 (3.2%) N.S.

Marrie, TJ 2000

X

X

X

Absolute difference in rates (ARR) between pathway and control

 

1-sided 95% CI upper limit:

    

In-hospital complications

(0.6%)

(4.6%) N.S.

    

Re-hospitalisation (6 weeks)

(0.7%)

(3.6%) N.S.

    

Mortality (6 weeks)

(-0.1%)

(2.5%) N.S.

Sulch, D

X

X

X

Median Barthel Index Score (26 weeks)

17

17 N.S.

1999

   

Mortality (26 weeks)

10/76 (13.2%)

6/76 (7.9%) N.S.

Kim, MH

X

X

X

Complications until follow-up (27 days)

1/9 (11.1%)

1/9 (11.1%) N.S.

2002

   

Re-hospitalisation (27 days)

2/9 (22.2%)

0/9 (0%) N.S.

Chen, SH 2004

X

X

X

Emergency room usage (not comparable with in-hospital complications)

3/20 (15.0%)

13/22 (59.1%) (p < 0.05)

    

Re-hospitalisation (3 months)

N.S.

N.S.

Usui, K 2004

X

X

X

Not reported

  
  1. Legend: Every pathway characteristic could be met as (1) "yes" criterion; (2) "not sure" because of poor reporting and the failure to contact the principal author or (3) "criterion not met." If one or more pathway criteria selected is/are not met, then we excluded the study. Due to poor reporting some quality measures are presented only as percentages or mean scores with or without associated standard deviations (SD). Some quality measures were only reported as statistical significant (i.e. p < 0.05) or not significant (N.S.) and any other data were missing.
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BMC Health Services Research

ISSN: 1472-6963

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