Chest Pain Evaluation Area Project

The Department has provided funding for three hospitals to pilot Emergency Department Chest Pain Evaluation Areas (CPEAs). CPEAs are designated areas within or adjacent to the emergency department in which appropriate patients with chest pain are systematically evaluated for an Acute Myocardial Infarction. CPEA evaluation is designed to improve the efficacy of patient assessment, thus improving health outcomes as well as maximising efficient use of hospital resources.

The three hospitals involved in the pilot are Monash Medical Centre, The Alfred and Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The objectives of the pilot projects are to ascertain the effect of establishing CPEAs on:

• Appropriateness of patient care
• Patient outcomes
• Cost of evaluating chest pain patients
• Cost/benefit in the context of the overall operation of the hospital/health service. This analysis involves consideration of factors including the cost of treating chest pain patients, the potential increased utilisation of the Coronary Care Unit by patients with a higher level of acuity than those currently utilising these Units, the impact on the acute inter-hospital transfer of cardiac patients and the potential for reduced numbers of cardiac patients on waiting lists.

Review of Chest Pain Evaluation Areas - Final Report (PDF File 275 KB)