A critical pathway for interdisciplinary hospice care

Abstract

In today’s managed health care environment, many hospices are seeking to streamline care while maintaining quality. Quality hospice care is dependent on communication and planning among members of the interdisciplinary team. A critical pathway can be useful in determining effective interventions in a uniform manner. In order to maintain quality and provide uniform care, a guiding framework is necessary. A critical pathway is presented here and is designed specifically for hospice care. An overview is presented of the usefulness of the critical pathway in the case management model. In theory, the critical pathway can be used as an outline for care to improve quality, maximize effectiveness, and generate further research in hospice practice.