Clinical pathway analysis: a valuable and fascinating tool for investing in the effects of COVID-19 pandemic

Several studies have examined clinical pathways from various angles. However, there has been minimal research on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the managerial and financial effectiveness of non-Covid-19 patients. This study examined the care processes and organisation of non-Covid-19 patients with respiratory failure, head trauma, septic shock, and cardiogenic shock in the Intensive Care Unit of the Research Hospital "Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza" in Italy from January 2018 to December 2021. The objective was to identify potential organisational, operational, and financial changes. The study assessed the duration of hospital stays by comparing the periods before (2018-2019) and during (2020-2021) the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, several analyses were conducted on radiological exams (with financial implications) and healthcare workers (with managerial implications). The primary findings have demonstrated a rise in the average duration of hospital stays during the pandemic years, with a significant impact observed in 2020. However, the average length of hospital stays in 2021 is lower than in 2019. Additionally, there has been a decline in the number of radiological examinations conducted during the pandemic years, while there has been an increase in healthcare personnel employed during this period. The subsequent ramifications of organisational transformation have been considered.