Long-term Follow-up of Health Related Quality of Life in Patients Hospitalised With Acute Coronary Syndrome: Evaluation of the Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events (EMMACE)-3X

Over the last few years the chance of dying from a heart attack in England and Wales has reduced dramatically. Even so, there remain huge differences in mortality between hospitals. For example, up to a third of patients with a heart attack who attend hospitals in England are more likely to die than would be expected. That is, the type of treatment and the risk of death depend upon where a patient lives and which hospital they attend. In part, the variation in death may be due to the services available at the hospital or to factors such as socioeconomic deprivation. It may also relate to other factors such as depression, cardiac rehabilitation, patient experience of hospital care and health quality of life.

Using statistical approaches that include measures of quality of life, we propose to examine data about heart attacks in England and investigate the 'postcode lottery of care'. This research is a long term followup that promote improved patient care. In doing so, different factors affecting cardiac rehabilitation will be highlighted and healthcare policy changed so that all patients will have an equal chance of surviving a heart attack.