Children's believes clinical paths are useful tools to improve care coordination, recognize and decrease unplanned variation in care, and potentially to reduce costs.
We define "clinical path" as "a consensus-based guideline for the care of a patient with a particular diagnosis at Children's, developed by our institution's most experienced clinical team."
Children's clinical paths are intended to be adapted to each specific patient using individualized professional judgment.
Clinical paths are intended as a starting point in planning the care of any patient with a specific diagnosis; guidelines which are intended to be tailored by the patient's caretakers to meet the needs of the individual patient.
Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE)
These guidelines are intended to be used in children older than 2 months of age with signs and symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. For the purposes of this guideline the definition of AGE is:
The acute onset of vomiting and/or diarrhea with or without accompanied nausea, fever, or abdominal pain in a previously healthy child.
Asthma
Asthma is the most common diagnosis for admission in our general medical service. To improve our service for the long-term care of this chronic disease, Children’s has developed new Guidelines for Management of Asthma in Children-a path to be used in the development of a care plan for children with uncomplicated asthma.
The pathway includes tools that were found to be useful by both parents and physicians involved in a Medalia/Providence Clinic study, which began in fall 1998.
Physicians found that the tools helped control asthma, improved patient quality of life and supported their care of the patient. Parents reported feeling more in control of the care of their child's disease, felt that it improved their understanding of asthma, and improved their quality of life. The study also showed a decrease in clinic and hospital visits for these families.
Of several elements provided in support of the study patients (the new asthma management plan, clinic visits, home visits, resource line and asthma education classes), physicians reported the new asthma management plan as the number-one tool in improving care.
Asthma Pathway Documents
Bronchiolitis
All documents are in Adobe PDF format.
Cystic Fibrosis
All documents are in Adobe PDF format.
Diabetes
All documents are in Adobe PDF format.
Kawasaki Disease
All documents are in Adobe PDF format.
Parapneumonic Effusion/Empyema
Suspected Occult Infection in Young Infants (Rule Out Sepsis)
All documents are in Adobe PDF format.
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
These guidelines are intended for the hospital management of previously healthy children without known underlying urologic abnormalities for whom urinary tract infection (UTI) is the primary diagnosis.
Recommendations for children 2 months to 2 years of age have been revised in light of the AAP guidelines on the diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of the initial urinary tract infection in febrile infants and young children (Pediatrics, 103:843, 1999).
UTI Pathway Documents
All documents are in Adobe PDF format.