Development of Systems of Care for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients The Patient and Public Perspective

A major objective for creating an ideal system of care isto be able to do “the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right person—and having the best results possible.”1 Critical to this endeavor are patients ’ beliefs, values, wishes, fears, expectations, perceptions of symptoms, and cognitive and emotional processes. All of these factors play important roles in determining if, when, and how they access these systems of care.2 Creating an ideal system of care to address the care for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is complex from both the system’s and patient/family’s perspec-tives. In general, this care is unlike most other hospital care. It typically involves very fast and complex decision making and, often, sudden transportation to another facility for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). All of this occurs with a potentially critically ill patient and at a time when the family is often not immediately available. In this report, we address key perspectives from the patient and public point of view of the current system of care for STEMI patients and highlight the barriers and gaps that must be addressed by a