Fusing roles--the ambulatory care nurse as case manager.

Most pathways concentrate on reducing the patient's length of stay. One multidisciplinary pathway team aims for a broader approach-promoting wellness as a means to avert hospitalization. Primary treatment teams provide and direct care for a group of patients, resulting in an outpatient system that is accessible and comprehensive.

The integral role of nursing in managed care.

Implementing a managed care model into the ambulatory care setting results in a user-friendly climate. A primary care treatment team coordinates all the patients' health care needs. Goals are to assign every patient to a specific attending physician and to integrate both inpatient and outpatient services into a managed care environment.