Regional Systems of Care to Optimize Timeliness of Reperfusion Therapy for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement efforts have focused on strategies to improve the timeliness of reperfusion therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients who present to hospitals with and without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capability. We implemented and evaluated a protocol to optimize the timeliness of reperfusion therapy and to coordinate systems of care for a PCI center and 28 regional hospitals located up to 150 miles away across 3 states. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present study focused on a prospective, observational cohort of 597 patients who presented with ST-segment elevation and within 12 hours of symptom onset to Saint Marys Hospital and 28 regional hospitals up to 150 miles away between May 2004 and December 2006. The Mayo Clinic ST-elevation myocardial infarction protocol implemented strategies to improve timeliness of reperfusion therapy and to coordinate systems of care for transfer between hospitals. The study sample consisted of 258 patients who presented to Saint Marys Hospital and were treated with primary PCI (group A), 105 patients who presented to a regional hospital with symptom onset >3 hours and then were transferred for primary PCI (group B), and 131 patients who presented to a regional hospital with symptom onset <3 hours and were treated with full-dose fibrinolytic therapy (group C). For groups A and B, median door-to-balloon times were 71 and 116 minutes, respectively. Door-to-balloon time <90 minutes was achieved in 75% of group A and 12% of group B. Median door-to-needle time was 25 minutes for group C, and 70% had door-to-needle time <30 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The Mayo Clinic ST-elevation myocardial infarction protocol demonstrates the feasibility of implementing strategies to optimize the timeliness of reperfusion therapy and the times that can be achieved through coordinated systems of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients presenting to a PCI center (Saint Marys Hospital) and 28 regional hospitals without PCI capability located up to 150 miles away across 3 states.