Critical paths: maximizing patient care coordination.

1. With today's emphasis on horizontal and vertical integration of patient care services and the new initiatives prompted by these challenges, OR nurses are considering new methods for managing the perioperative period. One such method is the critical path. 2. A critical path defines an optimal sequencing and timing of interventions by physicians, nurses, and other staff members for a particular diagnosis or procedure, designed to better use resources, maximize quality of care, and minimize delays. 3. Hospitals implementing path-based patient care have reported cost reductions and improved team-work. Critical paths have been shown to reduce patient care costs by improving hospital efficiency, not merely by reducing physician practice variations.