Determinants of resource utilization for patients admitted for evaluation of acute chest pain

To identify determinants of resource utilization among patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction. Prospective cohort study, with prospective collection of detailed clinical data and retrospective collection of nonclinical data and resource utilization data. Urban, tertiary-care, teaching hospital. 992 consecutive patients over the age of 30 years, admitted from the emergency department for evaluation of acute chest pain unexplained by obvious trauma or chest roentgenographic abnormality, were eligible for the study. After excluding patients who had left against medical advice, who had been transferred to another hospital, or who had incomplete utilization data, 903 patients were included in the analyses. The authors evaluated the effects of 22 clinical and nonclinical factors on resource use. Resource use was primarily evaluated by length of stay; charges were evaluated in secondary analyses. In the entire study population, increased length of stay was associated with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction or angina, severity of complications, use of invasive and noninvasive testing, and initial triage to the coronary care unit. In the 424 (47%) patients who had had completely uncomplicated courses after admission, high coefficients of variability were found for length of stay (0.88) and for total charges (0.78). In these uncomplicated patients, increased length of stay was associated with the use of noninvasive cardiac testing (66% longer for patients undergoing echocardiography or radionuclide ventriculography, and 46% longer for patients undergoing exercise tests or ambulatory arrhythmia monitoring), initial triage to the coronary care unit (23% longer), admission at the end of the week (21% longer), and insurance coverage other than Blue Cross/Blue Shield or a commercial carrier (21% for self-pay, 25% for Medicaid, and 48% for Medicare). These findings indicate that after adjustment for important clinical factors, nonclinical factors had a significant impact on length of stay among a large group of uncomplicated patients. Interventions aimed at reducing logistic difficulties in the performance of noninvasive testing and decreasing the number of low-risk patients who are triaged to coronary care unit beds may decrease resource utilization.