Differences in care-seeking behavior for acute chest pain in the United States and Japan

Background Delay from onset of acute myocardial infarction symptoms to the delivery of medical care is a major determinant of prognosis. Although studies have explored patient factors for delay in seeking care, there are limited data on international differences in care-seeking behavior. Methods We surveyed 1032 people in the United States and 1422 people in Japan in January 1997 on decision-making responses to a chest pain scenario representing acute MI. Participants were asked about how they would seek initial care and how promptly they would seek care. Results The mean age was 43.6 years in the United States and 48.3 years in Japan. For the hypothetical scenario, US respondents were more likely to seek care at an emergency department (22.9% vs 16.2% in Japan) or through emergency medical services/911 (55.9% vs 32.9% in Japan, P = .001). American subjects were also more likely to seek care immediately (83.1% vs 56.4% in Japan, P = .001). Conclusion Respondents in the United States and Japan differed substantially in their responses to a hypothetical chest pain scenario. Whether these differences result from cultural or health care system factors and whether these apparent attitudes produce gaps in real responses to acute coronary syndromes must be explored in further studies.