Critical pathways and computerized multidisciplinary documentation system

: Critical pathways are widely adopted by many large hospitals around the world in order to provide high-quality patient treatment. The development of critical pathways is a lengthy process, and may require the collaboration among physicians, nurses, and staffs in a hospital. The development and implementation of critical pathways at Kanto Medical Center and the transition to a computerized multidisciplinary documentation system took place between 2000 and 2001. The article describes the process of creating the automated documentation system to support the critical pathways. The advantages, pitfalls learned in this integration experience are described.