A new study in the journal Pediatrics has demonstrated an algorithm to evaluate when children with chest pain should be referred for further diagnosis.
Pediatric chest pain is seldom due to heart disease, though children with chest pain are often referred for further diagnostic testing, resulting in unnecessary resource use, according to a news release.
The referral algorithm, the Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plan, incorporates medical history, physical exam results and an electrocardiogram to indicate whether or not further diagnostic testing for heart disease is necessary.
The study implemented SCAMP for approximately 1,000 pediatric patients with chest pain seen at Boston Children's Hospital or a New England Congenital Cardiology Association practice.
Under SCAMP protocol, Boston Children's Hospital reported a 15 to 20 percent drop in costs associated with diagnostic testing for heart disease. Variations in care between Boston Children's and NECCA facilities were also minimal under SCAMP, according to the news release.
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