A primary care experience of open access to exercise stress test

This study described the practice profile of an open access exercise stress test (EST) service to the primary care physicians at a teaching hospital in 2000. We performed a retrospective review of all ESTs ordered and conducted by the primary care physicians. A total of 145 ESTs were conducted, of which 80.7% were referred for assessment of chest pain. Proportions of positive, negative, uninterpretable and inconclusive ESTs were: 22.1%, 52.8%, 18.1% and 6.9%. Typical chest pain was independently associated with a positive EST in this study (p = 0.008, OR 5.50, 95% CI 1.56-19.37). Although referral to the open access EST service seemed appropriate, there is a need to reduce the number of uninterpretable and inconclusive results.