2022 Quality Summit ePosters (Non-CE) - General Quality Improvement-6. St. Peter’s Assistant: Enhanced Role for Cardiologist in the Emergency Room

6. St. Peter’s Assistant: Enhanced Role for Cardiologist in the Emergency Room – an Early Experience

Pdf Summary

The document is discussing the enhanced role of a cardiologist in the Emergency Room (ER) and the early experience of implementing this new role. The main problem addressed is the challenge faced by ER physicians in diagnosing cardiac conditions and making the decision between missed diagnoses and avoidable hospitalizations. The proposed solution is to station a dedicated cardiologist in the ER who can assist with triaging patients with low acuity cardiac symptoms, facilitate early diagnosis and prompt treatment for hospitalized cardiac patients, and provide continuity of care between inpatient and ambulatory settings.<br /><br />The document provides statistics and data to support the value of implementing an ER cardiologist. It mentions that chest pain and syncope are common diagnoses in the ER, and cardiovascular conditions lead to hospitalization three times more often than other conditions. The estimated Medicare spending for acute care inpatient hospital services in 2021 is $130 billion. The early experience of implementing an ER cardiologist program in a hospital showed a significant decrease in inpatient and ER chest pain center (CPC) orders and an increase in ambulatory orders, demonstrating a shift towards ambulatory management of ER chest pain visits. The ERC also facilitated a pilot project for discharging syncope patients from the ER with cardiac monitors.<br /><br />The benefits of having an ERC include improved patient satisfaction, improved patient outcomes, reduced burnout and anxiety for ER physicians, and reduced hospitalizations and length of stay for health systems and payers.<br /><br />Overall, the document highlights the need for an enhanced role for cardiologists in the ER and presents evidence to support the value of implementing this role.

Keywords

cardiologist

Emergency Room

diagnosing cardiac conditions

missed diagnoses

avoidable hospitalizations

triaging patients

early diagnosis

prompt treatment

continuity of care

chest pain