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With widespread attention to “door-to-balloon time” brought about by Medicare’s national standards, time to treatment of acute myocardial infarction after patient arrival at the hospital is improving. The problem that persists, however, is getting patients to come to the hospital promptly after symptom onset. Two research groups used different methods to determine factors that might contribute to delays in presentation.
In one study, 3522 patients from the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand who had a preexisting diagnosis of ischemic heart disease were surveyed about their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about coronary heart disease. On a standardized instrument that included questions about perceived vulnerability to a future acute coronary…