Implementation and Outcomes of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner Telephone Chest Pain Clinic Developed in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual telephone advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) led chest pain clinic was set up because face-to-face clinic visits had ceased. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis compared the ANP virtual chest pain clinic to the face-to-face nurse specialist-led clinic. RESULTS: Autonomous nursing management was significantly higher in the virtual clinic, and significantly fewer patients were referred for functional testing. Coronary arterial disease (CAD) diagnosis did not differ. CONCLUSION: ANP autonomy and experience enabled continued chest pain assessment and CAD diagnosis via a virtual telephone clinic.