Healthcare resource utilization among patients receiving non-invasive testing for coronary artery disease in an outpatient setting: A cohort study reflecting daily practice trends.

BACKGROUND: Accurate, early diagnosis and the initiation of appropriate treatment is central to reducing the clinical burden of coronary artery disease (CAD); however, real-world evidence characterizing healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) associated with testing for CAD is lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a non-interventional, retrospective, secondary database analysis, patients aged ≥18 years who underwent outpatient non-invasive cardiac diagnostic testing were identified. The primary objective was to gain an understanding of pre- and post-assessment care pathways and the associated interventions for patients who underwent non-invasive testing for CAD in either an outpatient or emergency department setting. Overall, chest pain was the primary reason for the index visit (54.8%), followed by shortness of breath (23.7%), myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery disease (CAD) or congestive heart failure (CHF) (3.8%), and other (46.8%); 3.0% of patients had no apparent reason for testing in the last 45 days. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was the dominant diagnostic testing modality (40.3%). During the 90-day follow-up, 7.3% (n = 22,083) of patients were diagnosed with CAD; among these patients, 19.4% had repeat diagnostic testing, 26.0% of patients had a revascularization procedure, and 65.6% underwent cardiac catheterization. These rates varied by testing modality. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of a large real-world data sample, variability in the use of non-invasive tests and HCRU were evident. These results may assist efforts to optimize system-wide care/diagnostic pathways and value-based treatment decisions for patients.

Patient first versus computed tomography first strategy in testing for stable coronary artery disease: dispelling the prevailing myths and biases.

We advocate an evidence-based discussion for a patient first philosophy when considering "the right test for the right patient." Numerous test options exist for the evaluation of symptoms of possible stable ischemic heart disease. Major guidelines have traditionally focused on functional testing with or without imaging to clarify symptoms, diagnose ischemia, stratify prognosis, and guide management. Recently, industry advocates have emphasized modality-specific approaches such as computed tomography (CT First) as an initial test strategy for possible stable CAD. We review the key evidence to demonstrate that current best practice would focus on a patient first approach rather than a modality-specific approach.