Clinical Care Maps

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Care maps are widely used in healthcare throughout the world. There are multiple synonyms for the term “care map” such as process map, guidelines, and clinical pathways (De Bleser et al., 2006). Not having a single agreed upon definition of care map leads to confusion in healthcare organizations. Experts have tried to use different terms for care maps and clinical pathway. However, care maps and clinical pathways are still used interchangeably since both terms are designed to support clinical decision management, to organize care processes, and to enhance effective communication across different disciplines on healthcare teams (Schrijvers, van Hoorn, & Huiskes, 2012).
Is the Care Map a True Predictor of Health Outcomes?
The world’s population …show more content…

Moreover, advanced management of chronic illnesses results in longer life expectancy in older adults. Healthcare organizations use the care map integrated with the trajectory of illness. Many studies have exhibited lower hospital readmissions and length of stays while leading to improvement in quality, safety, communication and efficiency (Dubuc et al., 2013). Even though use of care maps result in positive health outcomes, the effectiveness of care maps in older adults remains controversial (American Geriatrics Society Expert Panel, 2012; Mutasingwa et al., …show more content…

Older adults are more likely to have more than one chronic condition which can affect their risks and treatments. Moreover, some effective clinical trial interventions recommended in a care map may not be practical for a particular patient setting. The hospital’s policy maker’s decisions based upon consideration of the feasibility, costs, and benefits of potentially effective interventions. While healthcare providers understand well the quality of care, a care map based on reimbursement limits may either constrain what they can provide or reduce the patient’s choices. Moreover, the ethical dilemma of ones’ inability to pay for health care services may be a factor. For example, older adults with no health insurance coverage may have inequitable access to healthcare services. Therefore, healthcare organizations need to improve the quality of care yet do so with limited

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