ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Clinical pathways are directions for standardised treatment processes for different diseases or procedures in a hospital. These pathways are developed within a team of several professions and are used as order and procedure sheets. Experiences with this element of quality management are limited in Germany. METHODS: The development and the implementation process of 15 pathways in a urological department are described. A clinical pathway for female incontinence surgery (suburethral tape) is presented as an example. The effects of the pathways are evaluated on a routine basis. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of the patients were treated according to a clinical pathway. The advantages of clinical pathways are a better structuring and transparency of medical processes, a reduction of documentation, improvements in medical education and savings in time, hospital stay of the patients and costs. Expenses for pharmaceuticals were significantly reduced in connection with development of the pathways. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of clinical pathways is a complex but rewarding project. It can be expected that clinical pathways will be rapidly distributed in the near future and that they will contribute to improvements of health care quality.
