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While the rates of hospitalization for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with acute MI (AMI) have dropped significantly between 2002 and 2007, researchers found that these rates varied based on demographics, particularly race and gender, according to a study published online March 8 in Circulation.
Black and Hispanic heart failure (HF) Medicare beneficiaries are less likely to receive hospice care than white patients with the same diagnosis, according to a study published in the March 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Aggressive device therapy, more frequent follow-ups and better heart failure management programs could help decrease mortality and readmission rates of heart failure patients, according to a study published online March 1 in the European Journal of Heart Failure.
Written by Manjula Puthenedam
U.S. cardiologists are experiencing a 36 percent cut in SPECT imaging reimbursement as part of the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). As a result, cardiology practices nationwide are trying to survive, while hoping that cardiology advocacy groups can persuade CMS that the dramatic cuts will potentially hurt patient care and increase healthcare costs in the long term.
When physicians indicate a medical situation is an exception to a guideline, most of the time these medical decisions are correct. These findings have implications for improved decision-support tools, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
While many U.S. physicians identify language or cultural barriers as obstacles to providing high-quality patient care, physicians' efforts to overcome communication barriers are modest and uneven, according to a report released by the Center for Studying Health System Change.
The European Union has granted CE mark of approval for St. Jude Medical’s Fortify ST implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and its Unify cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillator for distribution throughout Europe.
Surgical teams from three European hospitals, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, the Yeditepe University Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, and the University Hospital of Bordeaux in France, have completed the first phase of training to deploy SynCardia Systems’ CardioWest total artificial heart device.
Written by Justine Cadet & Kaitlyn Dmyterko
- Cardiac device approval suspect
- ICD longevity questioned
- More CRT for heart failure
Written by Louis G. Lange, MD, PhD
Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, our understanding of the role played by genes in the development of disease has rapidly evolved from that of a single gene associated with relatively rare genetic conditions to multiple genes working in concert with environmental factors.
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Monday, March 15, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
This ACC Symposium promises to review a lot of material on heart failure imaging—and with good reason. The rate of heart failure continues to rise, costing the U.S. healthcare system millions of dollars annually. Cardiologists want simple and effective techniques to diagnose and manage their growing heart failure patient population. The truth is that one MRI exam can deliver a plethora of information, while not exposing patients to unnecessary radiation.
The use of at-home medical devices to connect doctors and patients via the internet can help patients and their physicians work more efficiently together to manage chronic conditions, according to research at Cleveland Clinic.
Written by Justine Cadet
Now that continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are available as a destination therapy, rather than just a bridge-to-transplant therapy, options for late-stage heart failure patients have expanded. The new indication is welcome news, but the debate has begun regarding which patients are the best candidates, and when in their care cycle to implant LVADs.
A study of Medicare beneficiaries admitted to U.S. hospitals with congestive heart failure (CHF) showed no definitive connection between the cost and quality of care, or between cost and death rates. The research was published Feb. 22 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance sent a blistering letter on Feb. 18 to the FDA questioning the agency’s actions regarding the diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline).
Biotechnology company Bioheart will conduct its FDA approved clinical trial, REGEN, to assess the safety and efficacy of gene-modified stem cells, MyoCell, on patients who suffer from congestive heart failure (HF).
The FDA has approved Sorin Group’s next-generation cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D), the Paradym CRT Model 8750.
Thoratec, a provider in device-based mechanical circulatory support therapies for failing hearts, has reported positive outcomes for the fourth quarter and the 2009 fiscal year, partly due to strong HeartMate sales.
Cardiologists and cardiovascular staff at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., pride themselves for providing the best care in the area. But it took the process associated with gaining Chest Pain Center accreditation for them to realize just how good they are.
The FDA has granted approval to Thoratec’s HeartMate II, a continuous-flow, left ventricular assist device (LVAD), for its use in heart failure patients who are not candidates for a heart transplant.
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Middle age introduces itself in many ways; one is atrial fibrillation (AF). My onset of AF seems to have coincided with a mountain bike accident in the woods of North Carolina that resulted in some cracked ribs.
The use of health IT to reduce rehospitalizations will be welcome but also disruptive, said Stephen Jencks, an independent consultant in healthcare safety during a Feb. 24 webinar on the potential use of health IT to mitigate rehospitalizations, sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
A new hospital breaking ground usually isn’t breaking news. But the vision of patient care at one new facility, tentatively named Palomar Medical Center West (PMC West), is currently illegal under California state law.
There are cases presented to all physicians when we have to balance benefits of a particular treatment with concerns around safety for certain patients. In interventional cardiology, we see this dilemma with drug-eluting stents (DES). While this technology provides effective therapy for many patients with ischemia-inducing coronary lesions, there are certain patient groups that encounter problems for different reasons.
U.S. News & World Report and HealthGrades surveys that rank “Best Hospitals” according to their high-quality cardiovascular care do not create the most comprehensive list and may create confusion by excluding hospitals that provide the same quality of care, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.