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Joh, Moon, Park, Kim, and Yang: The Effects of the Critical Pathway for Inguinal Hernia Repair
Original Article
Yonsei Medical Journal

Yonsei Medical Journal 2003; 44(1): 81-88.

Published online: 29 March 2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2003.44.1.81

The Effects of the Critical Pathway for Inguinal Hernia Repair

Hye jin Joh1, In Sung Moon2, Ho Ran Park3, Nam Cho Kim3, Soo Yang3

1Department of Nursing, Kang-nam St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

2Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul, Korea.

3College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Reprint address: requests to Ho-ran Park, Dr. of Nursing Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea College of Nursing, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea. Tel: 82-2-590-1291, Fax: 82-2-590-1297, hrpark@catholic.ac.kr

Received 29 May 2002       Accepted 8 November 2002

Copyright © 2003 The Yonsei University College of Medicine

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop a case management program using the critical pathway (CP) as an intervention method for patients with an inguinal hernia for a herniorrhaphy, and to determine the effects of the CP on the period of hospitalization, medical costs, the rates of postoperative complaints, patient satisfaction and the nurses' job satisfaction.
One hundred patients (60 in the experimental group, 40 in the control group) who were admitted to a general hospital in Seoul for inguinal herniorrhaphy were enrolled in this study. The results showed that the period of hospitalization and the postoperative hospital stay were significantly reduced in the CP group. In addition, the total medical cost, was lowered significantly by use of the CP for patients undergoing an inguinal herniorrhaphy. The rates of postoperative complaints, patients' satisfaction and the information on the treatment were enhanced after implementing the CP.
These results suggests that the CP may be a useful tool for enhancing the health care outcome by decreasing the period of hospitalization, overall medical costs and by improving the quality of care, all of which can benefit the patients, the patients' family, caregivers and the hospital.

Keywords: Critical pathway, inguinal herniorrhaphy

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