ICare-ACS (Improving Care Processes for Patients With Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome)
Authors: Than Martin P. , Pickering John W. , Dryden Jeremy M. , Lord Sally J. , Aitken S. Andrew , Aldous Sally J. , Allan Kate E. , Ardagh Michael W. , Bonning John W.N. , Callender Rosie , Chapman Laura R.E. , Christiansen Jonathan P. , Cromhout Andre P.J. , Cullen Louise , Deely Joanne M. , Devlin Gerard P. , Ferrier Katherine A. , Florkowski Christopher M. , Frampton Christopher M.A. , George Peter M. , Hamilton Gregory J. , Jaffe Allan S. , Kerr Andrew J. , Larkin G. Luke , Makower Richard M. , Matthews Timothy J.E. , Parsonage William A. , Peacock W. Frank , Peckler Bradley F. , van Pelt Niels C. , Poynton Louise , Richards A. Mark , Scott Anthony G. , Simmonds Mark B. , Smyth David , Thomas Oliver P. , To Andrew C.Y. , Du Toit Stephen A. , Troughton Richard W. , Yates Kim M. 
Published: November 2017

Background:
Efforts to safely reduce length of stay for emergency department patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have had mixed success. Few system-wide efforts affecting multiple hospital emergency departments have ever been evaluated. We evaluated the effectiveness of a nationwide implementation of clinical pathways for potential ACS in disparate hospitals.

Methods:
This was a multicenter pragmatic stepped-wedge before-and-after trial in 7 New Zealand acute care hospitals with 31 332 patients investigated for suspected ACS with serial troponin measurements. The implementation was a clinical pathway for the assessment of patients with suspected ACS that included a clinical pathway document in paper or electronic format, structured risk stratification, specified time points for electrocardiographic and serial troponin testing within 3 hours of arrival, and directions for combining risk stratification and electrocardiographic and troponin testing in an accelerated diagnostic protocol. Implementation was monitored for >4 months and compared with usual care over the preceding 6 months. The main outcome measure was the odds of discharge within 6 hours of presentation

Results:

There were 11 529 participants in the preimplementation phase (range, 284–3465) and 19 803 in the postimplementation phase (range, 395–5039). Overall, the mean 6-hour discharge rate increased from 8.3% (range, 2.7%–37.7%) to 18.4% (6.8%–43.8%). The odds of being discharged within 6 hours increased after clinical pathway implementation. The odds ratio was 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 2.3–2.6). In patients without ACS, the median length of hospital stays decreased by 2.9 hours (95% confidence interval, 2.4–3.4). For patients discharged within 6 hours, there was no change in 30-day major adverse cardiac event rates (0.52% versus 0.44%;
P
=0.96). In these patients, no adverse event occurred when clinical pathways were correctly followed.

Conclusions:
Implementation of clinical pathways for suspected ACS reduced the length of stay and increased the proportions of patients safely discharged within 6 hours.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.anzctr.org.au/
(Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry). Unique identifier: ACTRN12617000381381.