International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care
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Int J Qual Health Care · Feb 1998
The impact of a multidisciplinary approach on caring for ventilator-dependent patients.
To determine the clinical and financial outcomes of a highly structured multidisciplinary care model for patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) who require prolonged mechanical ventilation. The structured model outcomes (protocol group) are compared with the preprotocol outcomes. ⋯ Implementation of a structured multidisciplinary care model to care for a heterogeneous population of ventilator-dependent ICU patients was associated with significant reductions in ICU and hospital lengths of stay, charges, and costs. Mortality rates were unaffected.