Evaluating a new approach for managing chest pain patients in outpatient settings
Official title: Testing a Cardiovascular Ambulatory Rapid Evaluation for Patients with Chest Pain (CARE-CP)
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11003318 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to help people with chest pain who aren't at high risk by letting them go home from the emergency room instead of staying in the hospital, and then checking in with them within three days to make sure they're doing okay and to manage any heart health concerns.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $200,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HS029017-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11003318 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are moderate-risk patients who present with chest pain at emergency departments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with high-risk chest pain or those requiring immediate hospitalization may not benefit from this outpatient management approach.
What this research studies
This research investigates a new strategy called the Cardiovascular Ambulatory Rapid Evaluation (CARE) for patients experiencing chest pain. Instead of being hospitalized, moderate-risk patients will be discharged from the emergency department and receive follow-up care within 72 hours to manage cardiovascular risk factors and assess the need for further testing. The goal is to improve patient outcomes while reducing the strain on healthcare resources associated with unnecessary hospitalizations. By focusing on outpatient management, this approach aims to provide a more efficient and patient-centered care model.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer and more effective management of chest pain, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and improving patient experiences.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest that outpatient management for moderate-risk chest pain patients is promising, but this specific approach is still being evaluated for its effectiveness.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mahler, Simon a — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Mahler, Simon a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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ECG-BASED smart tools to quickly classify chest pain in emergency care
A patient-focused project to use advanced ECG analysis and machine learning to quickly identify heart problems in people with chest pain when they arrive at the ER.
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How emergency doctors’ decisions about chest pain affect testing and outcomes
A study using Medicare data will see if doctors who tend to admit chest-pain patients to the hospital lead to more tests and different outcomes for those patients.
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Using ECGs to find hidden heart attacks in people with chest pain
This project is creating smart ECG tools to quickly spot heart attacks that don't show the classic ST-elevation in people who come to the emergency room with chest pain.
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MACE-Alert: AI tools to help triage chest pain in the emergency department
An AI-powered system and a patient-facing chat tool aim to improve how emergency teams evaluate and triage people with chest pain.
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Electrocardiographic warning system to speed up chest-pain care (ECG-SMART 2)
A research project is testing new ECG-based computer tools to quickly and safely identify patients with potentially serious chest pain in emergency departments.
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Improving ECG methods to quickly identify heart issues in chest pain patients
This study is working on a new tool to help doctors quickly and accurately check patients with chest pain in the emergency room, using advanced technology to spot heart issues that might be missed by regular tests, so they can provide faster and better care for you.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.