Using a systemwide care path to enhance compliance with guidelines for acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Several acute myocardial infarction (MI) guidelines and policy statements have been developed, but compliance rates are suboptimal. The cardiology section at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center (La Crosse, Wisconsin) used a systemwide approach to enhance compliance with guidelines.

Methods And Results: Data were collected prospectively for a 4-year period (May 15, 1995-May 15, 1999) for all patients presenting with acute MI.