Effects of Clinical Pathways on Cesarean Sections in China: Length of Stay and Direct Hospitalization Cost Based on Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Controlled Clinical Trials

Dan Lin, Chunyang Zhang and Huijing Shi
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Dan Lin: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Chunyang Zhang: Fujian Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou 350001, China
Huijing Shi: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: The cesarean section (CS) on maternal request increased sharply in China, bringing pressure to medical resources and national insurance. We assessed the use of clinical pathways (CPWs) for CS compared with conventional medical care by outcomes of length of stay (LOS) in hospital and direct hospitalization cost (DHC). Four Chinese electronic databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, CQVIP, and SinoMed, were explored to December 2020 for the full-text papers published in Chinese. Literature that quantitatively assessed the effects of CPW on LOS or DHC were eligible for inclusion. The weighted mean differences (WMDs) were pooled. Twenty-five articles were included in our analysis, with a total sample of 7761 women. These studies were performed from 2004 to 2017 and reported from 2005 to 2018. The synthesized results showed a shorter LOS (in days) (WMD = ?1.37, 95% CI: ?1.48 to ?1.26) and a less DHC (CNY¥) (WMD = ?520.46, 95% CI: ?554.06 to ?503.63) in the CPW group, comparing with that of conventional care. With the need for CS on the rise, the introduction of CPW could effectively reduce LOS and DHC, thereby releasing the medical resources and insurance pressure.

Keywords: clinical pathway; cesarean section; length of stay; direct hospitalization cost; health economics; meta-analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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