title: A primary care experience of open access to exercise stress test.
abstract: This study described the practice profile of an open access exercise stress test (EST) service to the primary care physicians at a teaching hospital in 2000. We performed a retrospective review of all ESTs ordered and conducted by the primary care physicians. A total of 145 ESTs were conducted, of which 80.7% were referred for assessment of chest pain. Proportions of positive, negative, uninterpretable and inconclusive ESTs were: 22.1%, 52.8%, 18.1% and 6.9%. Typical chest pain was independently associated with a positive EST in this study (p = 0.008, OR 5.50, 95% CI 1.56-19.37). Although referral to the open access EST service seemed appropriate, there is a need to reduce the number of uninterpretable and inconclusive results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Khoo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies