摘要：Over the years, various nursing care delivery systems have been experimented. Case management is a work design planned to meet patient needs. Nursing case management organizes patient care by major diagnoses or diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and focuses on attaining predetermined patient outcomes within specific time frames and resources and requires collaboration of all members of the health care team. Patient involvement and participation is the key to successful case management. A collaborative practice team including clinical experts from appropriate disciplines: nursing, medicine, physical therapy etc, defines the expected outcomes of care for the patient population. Based on expected patient outcomes, each member of the team, using his or her discipline’s contribution, helps determine appropriate interventions within a specified time frame. Successful case management relies on critical pathways and multidisciplinary actions plans (MAPs) to guide care. Variances are patient outcomes or staff actions that do not meet the expectation of the pathway. There is evidence that critical pathways may be associated with reduced complications. Five elements are essential to successful implementation of case management: a) support by key members of the organization (administrators, physicians and nurses); b) a qualified nurse case manager; c) collaborative practice teams; d) a quality management system; e) established critical pathways
关键词：case management; critical pathways; nursing care services; multidisciplinary actions plans
