JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Costs of an emergency department-based accelerated diagnostic protocol vs hospitalization in patients with chest pain: a randomized controlled trial.
More than 3 million patients are hospitalized yearly in the United States for chest pain. The cost is over $3 billion just for those found to be free of acute disease. New rapid diagnostic tests for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have resulted in the proliferation of accelerated diagnostic protocols (ADPs) and chest pain observation units. ⋯ In this trial, ADP saved $567 in total hospital costs per patient treated. Use of ED-based ADPs can reduce hospitalization rates, LOS, and total cost for low-risk patients with chest pain needing evaluation for possible AMI or ACI.
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While clinical guidelines are considered an important mechanism to improve the quality of medical care, problems with implementation may limit their effectiveness. Few empirical data exist about the effect of computer-based systems for application of clinical guidelines on quality of care. ⋯ Use of a computer-based system for clinical guidelines for management of patients with occupational exposure to body fluids improved documentation, compliance with guidelines, and percentage of charges spent on indicated activities, while decreasing overall charges. The parameters returned to baseline when the computer system was removed.