Evaluating patient care by the use of a diabetic ketoacidosis CareMap in an intensive care unit setting.

The 1990s have seen major changes in the health care delivery system. One of the more useful ones has been the CareMap, an interdisciplinary tool for managing, evaluating and improving patient care. The article discusses the use of a diabetic ketoacidosis CareMap in the medical intensive care unit in a large community hospital. The impact of the CareMap on cost containment and use of resources is also addressed. Although the CareMap represents only one of the many changes that have evolved in the past several years, it is certain to have a critical effect on patient care quality because it combines a variety of disciplines and identifies problem issues that encourage a collaborative approach to patient care.