GE addresses treatment of chest pain patients
GE Healthcare revealed at this week's American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, La. a Six Sigma-based program that will help medical facilities adopt a new strategy for the treatment of chest pain patients.

GE said the program will help hospitals transition diagnosis and treatment of heart attack patients from an inpatient-only setting to a highly specialized outpatient/emergency department setting, dedicated to observing patients with chest pain.

In the past, most patients were admitted to the hospital and cared for by cardiologists, even though many were not having a heart attack. Today, an accurate diagnosis can be made within 24 hours or less without admitting the patient to the ICU or CCU unnecessarily. Now, patients will remain in the emergency department surrounded by appropriate equipment aimed at more accurate and cost effective diagnosis, GE said.

Hospitals that have already made this transition to accredited "Chest Pain Centers" are providing higher levels of care as a result, according to GE.

GE said it followed the recommendations of the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), which developed an accredited Chest Pain Center model for facilities to follow. In addition to highly sophisticated equipment, GE's Six Sigma Performance Solutions team provides hospitals with a management strategy that analyzes a facility's current efficiency level and outlines the most effective operating practices for a more efficient new or revised center.
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