The Evaluation Of Clinical Pathways’ Effects For Stroke

Objective: To evaluate the effects of clinical pathways for patients with stroke.Methods: Our study were divide into two parts: one conducted a comprehensive search of the literature and performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials that directly compared clinical pathways with usual care among patients with stroke; the other is based on the results of systematic review to compare the costs and length of stay between clinical pathways and usual care.Results:Part one: Seven trials were identified. CPs did not differ from usual care in mortality or readmission after discharge. However, there were significant lower length of hospital stay and a trend toward lower hospital costs and complications rate in stroke patients using CPs.Part two: The baseline data were comparable. There were significant lower length of hospital stay and hospital costs in clinical pathways group.Conclusions:1. Using clinical pathways among stroke patients can reduce the patient’s length of hospital stay and hospital costs.2. Clinical pathways did not differ from usual care in mortality or readmission.3. There were not a conform conlusions for patients’ activities of daily living and patients’ satisfaction.4. There was a trend toward lower rates of in-hospital complications in clinical pathways group, however, the quality of trials was low, the evidence is not enough.