Persistence of Evidence-Based Medication Use After Discharge from Academic Versus Nonacademic Hospitals Among Patients With Non–ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

There is increasing emphasis on optimizing evidence-based medication (EBM) persistence as a means to improve longitudinal patient outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (MI); yet it is unknown whether differences in medication persistence exist between patients discharged from academic versus nonacademic hospitals. We linked Medicare pharmacy claims data with 3,184 patients with non–ST-segment elevation MI >65 years of age who were treated in 2006 at 253 hospitals participating in the Can Rapid Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress Adverse Outcomes with Early Implementation of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines registry. Using multivariate regression, we compared persistent filling of β blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers, clopidogrel, and statins at 90 days and 1 year postdischarge between patients discharged from academic and nonacademic hospitals. Patients treated at academic hospitals were more frequently nonwhite (19% vs 8%, p <0.001) and had a greater co-morbidity burden (Charlson score ≥4 in 36% vs 30%, p = 0.001) than patients treated at nonacademic hospitals. Composite persistence to all EBMs prescribed at discharge was low and not significantly different between academic and nonacademic hospitals at 90 days (46% vs 45%, adjusted incidence rate ratio = 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 1.04) and at 1 year (39% vs 39%, adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.07). Rates of persistence to EBMs were similar between patients with MI >65 years old treated at academic versus nonacademic hospitals; however, persistence rates are low both early and late postdischarge, highlighting a continued need for quality improvement efforts to optimize post-MI management.