SummaryBackground: The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) includes presentation of chest pain over 20 min, evolutionary changes on the electrocardiogram (ECG), and abnormal levels of cardiac enzymes.Hypothesis: A multicenter study was conducted to evaluate
Background.\p=m-\Continuousquality improvement is being advocated as the process that, if adopted, would improve the efficiency, productiveness, and quality of medical institutions, thereby helping to solve the health care crisis our country is facing. To determine if these techniques could be effective in a tertiary-care multispecialty group practice, a model project was undertaken. The model project chosen was to determine if we could improve the turnaround time for "stat" laboratory examinations performed in our large outpatient facility. Methods.\p=m-\A10-member team consisting of everyone involved in the process of laboratory testing was empowered to evaluate the present process and make appropriate changes. With traditional techniques of quality improvement, the process was assessed, data were collected and statistically analyzed, changes were introduced, and data were recollected and analyzed. Results.\p=m-\After intervention, the preanalytic delays were reduced by 76% and the postanalytic delays by 88%. Waiting time for patients was reduced by an average of 62%. By instituting the changes suggested, the institution saved $225
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.