Cost effectiveness of chest pain units.

Health care facilities face many challenges in their attempts to provide cost-effective care without sacrificing quality. One key factor in producing quality outcomes while maintaining economic profitability is the establishment of a cost-effective outpatient care environment. Chest Pain Units (CPUs) have evolved to provide a streamlined approach to acute cardiac care that emphasizes optimal efficiency initiated at the point of entry. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have structured new reimbursement approaches designed to shift care from the inpatient setting and "reward" efficient and appropriate care delivered in the outpatient arena. These new reimbursement strategies have transformed the CPU into an economically viable entity for the acute care facility and also have afforded opportunities to enhance the quality of care delivered to the acute cardiac patient.