Acute Coronary Syndrome and Care-Seeking Delay: A Web Based Behavioral Study

The primary aim of this study is to increase our understanding of care-seeking behavior surrounding heart attacks or acute coronary syndromes \[ACS\]. This study uses an internet based survey to ask individuals how they obtained medical care in the midst of a heart attack. At present, care-seeking delay among individuals stricken with a heart attack prevents them from obtaining the full therapeutic benefit of hospital based medical care in a timely manner to reduce the long term health consequences of a heart attack. By using a self-tailoring survey instrument the study attempts to take into consideration the complex social processes by which the individual and their family make decisions to seek medical care for symptoms of a heart attack. The study is designed to obtain a national sample of ACS care-seeking behavior in the United States.