Over the span of 17 years, clinical data were used to develop, evaluate, and revise clinical programs and protocols. In this article, the use of quantitative clinical data in clinical practice is described. Practice areas addressed include infusion therapy, pain management, and pathways for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and heart failure. Data have been used to monitor treatment complications and establish benchmarks, develop strategies and measure their impact in decreasing complications, measure patient outcomes and adherence to agency practice expectations, and assess staff educational needs.
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