Outcomes of coronary care in the acute care setting

A prospective descriptive study of 151 myocardial infarction patients in five hospitals, shortly after the implementation of prospective payment, showed them to be in stable physical condition and generally free of physical and emotional symptoms at the time of discharge. They did, however, have major deficits in their knowledge of continued self-care and treatment prescriptions. Multivariate analysis showed age to be more closely associated with outcome at discharge than were severity of illness, comorbidity, complications or the intensity of medical treatment. The findings suggest that strategies for preparing patients (especially older patients) for continued self-care may need to be adjusted to the current short lengths of stay in the acute care hospital.