Payer Status and the Utilization of Hospital Resources in Acute Myocardial Infarction

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Abstract
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL infarction (AMI) represents a disease process that frequently leads to extensive utilization of hospital resources. An expert panel has recently outlined guidelines for the appropriate management of AMI in an effort to lower the overall cost of medical care, improve the effectiveness of patient care, and optimize patient outcome.1 Payer status may be an important determinant in the utilization of such resources.2-14 However, many of these reports were performed using administrative data that often lacked sufficient characterization of patient clinical characteristics, procedures, and outcomes.