THE EVOLVING HEALTH-CARE MARKETPLACE - HOW TO DEVELOP CRITICAL PATHS AND PREPARE FOR OTHER FORMULARY MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Changes occurring in the health care marketplace are changing the way clinicians are managing patients. Cost, quality, and efficiency of car e are increasingly being focused upon. One patient care management str ategy that keeps these three factors in mind and is growing in popular ity is the use of critical paths. This article describes the 7-step cr itical path development process followed by clinicians at Hartford Hos pital. Additionally, the effect of health care marketplace changes on the formulary decision-making process, P & T Committee structure and f unction, and new drug development is also presented.