NIH-funded research R21 grant

MACE-Alert: AI tools to help triage chest pain in the emergency department

Official title: MACE-Alert: An Artificial Intelligence based Assessment and Triage of Undifferentiated Chest Pain

Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11288452 · Data updated 2026-11-12

An AI-powered system and a patient-facing chat tool aim to improve how emergency teams evaluate and triage people with chest pain.

More Chest Pain research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Diego
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (La Jolla, United States)
Project startSeptember 23, 2026
Project endAugust 31, 2028
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$216,000
NIH project number1R21LM015128-01
Project IDNIH-11288452 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Patients presenting to the ED with nontraumatic chest pain who undergo risk assessment could benefit from this research.

Less likely to help

Patients whose data do not fit the model or who are not entering an ED workflow may see no benefit.

What this research studies

In this project, researchers at UC San Diego will create two AI tools to help ED doctors better judge the risk of serious heart problems in people with chest pain. The first tool uses a machine-learning model fed by past ED data and real-time vital signs to predict 30-day risk of major adverse cardiac events. The second tool is a friendly chat assistant that collects patient-reported symptoms and links them to medical records to support clinical decisions. The team will test these tools with retrospective data and measure accuracy, safety, and usefulness in guiding ED disposition.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the tools could speed up accurate triage and reduce unnecessary admissions while ensuring high-risk patients get timely care.

How similar studies have gone: AI-based risk tools have shown promise in retrospective data but require validation in ED workflows.

Where this research is happening

  • University of California, San Diego
    La Jolla, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Ramsis, Mattheus — University of California, San Diego
  • Study coordinator: Ramsis, Mattheus

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.