Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the influence of clinical pathway for patients with depression on nursing satisfaction, length and cost of hospital stay. Methods: Data collection of relevant clinical controlled trials were extensively selected from Chinese databases. Meta-analysis was conducted by STATA 12.0 software. Standardized mean difference (SMD) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: According to inclusion criteria, three clinical controlled studies were assessed with a total of 652 patients with depression, including 323 patients in the clinical pathway group and 329 patients in the contol group. Meta-analysis showed that clinical pathway may shorten length of stay (SMD = -1.35,95%CI = -1.53~ -1.17,P < 0.001), reduce the hospital cost (SMD = -1.66,95%CI = -1.89~1.43,P < 0.001), and improve nurse satisfaction of patients (OR = 9.01,95%CI = 4.24~19.17,P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present meta-analysis indicates that nursing clinical pathway may significantly reduce length and cost of hospital stay and improve nursing satisfaction for patients with depression. |