title: [A study protocol for clinical pathways based on integrative medicine for patients with acute myocardial infarction].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. The clinical pathway is the therapeutic program for disease-specific treatment and its implementation may reduce both the duration and cost of the hospital stay. This study aims to construct and evaluate the efficacy of clinical pathways (CPs) based on integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine for patients with AMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical pathway of integrative medicine for AMI was constructed on the basis of syndrome evolvement surveys, literature research and expert consultation. Then, a non-randomized controlled, multicenter trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the clinical pathway around the length of hospital stay, hospital expenses and the incidence of major cardiovascular events. This also allowed further exploration into the efficacy and safety of the clinical pathway for AMI based on traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study firstly researched CPs based on the integrative medicine in hospitals of Chinese medicine and set up the key methods and skills for the construction of CPs of integrative medicine. This study will provide a powerful reference and direction for single-disease management reform under the healthcare system and set a good example for the improvement of integrative treatments.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ChiCTR-TNRC-10000753.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-Heng
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xu-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Min-Zhou
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D019091:Critical Pathways; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*