Reliable Implementation of Clinical Pathways: What Will It Take—That Is the Question

Several studies of inpatient and emergency department (ED) implementation of care pathways for the management of acute asthma in children have demonstrated positive effects on length-of-stay, costs, misuse of therapies such as intravenous corticosteroids and oral albuterol, hospitalization and readmission rates, overuse of laboratory tests, and underuse of therapies such as oral corticosteroids, controller medications, and structured education.