March
2000
Whereas heart disease remains the number one health problem
facing the United States and the world, and
Whereas
heart disease has continued in this lofty position since the
turn of the last century and now is unchallenged in the 21st
century, and
Whereas
the high mortality seen in heart disease is primarily due
to heart attack deaths, and
Whereas
the science base for heart attack care has rapidly improved
in recent years, but the application and practice has not
kept up with this knowledge.
Furthermore,
Whereas
heart attack care in the past has been left up to the hospitals
offering variable care not always consistent with the optimal
care, and
Whereas
errors have occurred in performance when systems promoting
preparedness are not in place (errors of omission) and systems
for prevention of mistakes (errors of commission) are also
not in place.
Be it
resolved
That the
Chest Pain Center strategy represents a public health initiative
calling upon all hospitals to focus on the heart attack problem
through a comprehensive triage evaluation of patients presenting
with chest pain and chest discomfort utilizing protocol driven
algorithms.
And be
it further resolved
That this
system of improved care and safety be developed in all hospitals
and involve emergency physicians, cardiologists and critical
care nurses, etc., utilizing a continuous quality improvement
process.
And be
it further resolved
That this
system of improved care be monitored for needed changes at
appropriate intervals and that it also involve outcome measurements
for all patients being so treated
And in
summary then
Be it
so stated that the present curse of the heart attack problem
be viewed as approachable and winnable, I that its vulnerability
is directly related to a public health system of care that
every hospital is capable of rendering when the proper time,
energy, and commitment is given through this focused approach
(Chest Pain Center strategy) in the emergency department setting
(where the rubber hits the road).
Raymond
D. Bahr
President Emeritus
SCPC
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