A retrospective study evaluating the effectiveness of an asthma clinical pathway in pediatric inpatient practice.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the asthma clinical pathway implemented at Wolfson Children's Hospital reduces the length of hospital stay. To determine if pathway use affected the use of asthma education, the use of appropriate discharge medications based on asthma classification, and readmission rates.
METHODS: A list of patients aged 2 to 18 years discharged from Wolfson Children's Hospital between September 1, 2004 and August 31, 2006 with the diagnosis of asthma was generated. Medical records of eligible patients were reviewed for demographic information, asthma pathway use, duration of hospital stay in days, readmission rates, receipt of asthma education, and medications prescribed upon discharge. Patients placed on the asthma clinical pathway were compared to a control group with asthma who were matched based on age and discharge date. Length of stay was averaged for each group. Asthma education, discharge medications, and readmission rates were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS: Forty-three patients placed on the asthma clinical pathway were compared to a 43 patients in the control group that were matched for age and discharge date. Use of the asthma clinical pathway reduced hospital stay by 0.372 days (P = .0373). Receipt of asthma education (P = .3864), the use of appropriate drug therapy prescribed upon discharge (P = .1398), and readmission rates (P = .5486) were unaffected by pathway use.
CONCLUSIONS: The asthma clinical pathway used at Wolfson Children's Hospital reduces length of hospital stay, but has no bearing on receipt of asthma education, use of appropriate drug therapy upon discharge, or readmission rates.