Abstract
Prior to 1995, the care for patients receiving total joint replacements at Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, California, was not always provided in the most organized manner. While the quality of patient care was never compromised, variations in the costs, length of hospital stay, patient education, and discharge planning were dependent on the individual caregiver's (surgeon's and nurse's) practice plan. With the aim of decreasing variability in patient care and outcomes, a multidisciplinary team was appointed to work collectively in designing a system of standardized care. The achievement of better patient outcomes while decreasing hospital length of stay and costs was realized.
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