| Theme |
Application of Clinical Path for Dialysis Treatment |
| Title |
The history and application of CP in the Japanese health care system |
| Author |
Mia Kobayashi |
Department of Health policy and Management School of Medicine, Keio University |
| Author |
Shunya Ikeda |
Department of Health policy and Management School of Medicine, Keio University |
| Author |
Naoki Ikegami |
Department of Health policy and Management School of Medicine, Keio University |
| [ Summary ] |
Clinical Pathway (CP) has been recently introduced in Japan as means of reducing the length of hospital stay and assuring the quality of care. In order to achieve effective outcomes, it is essential that CP be developed and used appropriately. Whether CP will take roots in the Japanese health care system or not depends on the following seven points which are the key to its successful application : 1) to clarify the purpose of introducing CP, 2) to plan and determine how the CP is to be used, 3) to establish inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria in using the CP, 4) to evaluate the outcome by utilizing clinical indicators, 5) to revise the CP through variance analysis, 6) to use CP as a means of risk management, and 7) to use CP as a means of promoting informed consent. |