Table 3

Patient and health professional themes and sub-themes

ThemePatientsHealth professionals
Acceptability of single blood test (LoDED) strategy Trust and reassurance
Having trust in the treating health professionals
Feeling reassured by the number of other tests alongside blood test(s)
Practicalities and reduced anxiety
Reservations and anxieties
Identifying low-risk patients
Lack of clinician experience
Shortened observation period
Perceptions of symptom severity and uncertainty Identification and experience of chest pain
Lack of a firm diagnosis
Understanding of being a low-risk chest pain patient
Legitimate use of NHS services
Ambiguity: diagnosis and ongoing management of ‘low-risk’ chest pain symptoms
Explaining risk and uncertainty to low-risk patients
Acceptance: a small number of low-risk patients may have a heart attack in the future
Lack of follow-up after ED attendance
Patient discharge information Patients valued written information
Readability and clarity
Acceptable level of risk communicated
Lack of current discharge information for patients with low-risk chest pain
Fills an information gap for low-risk chest pain patients
  • LoDED, limit of detection and ECG discharge strategy.