Feature: Expanded AAA screening algorithm targets 'missed' populations

Current screening recommendations for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) fail to target some people, including women and nonsmokers, in which a large number of ruptures and deaths occur, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery. Use of a new high-yield screening algorithm can expand the target population for screening and help to increase the detection of AAAs, senior study author Giampaolo Greco, PhD, told Cardiovascular Business News.

Feature: U.S. needs national strategy to curb imaging overutilization

Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.

Feature: As Maryland stent investigations continue, more oversight is needed

After 585 patients at the St. Joseph Medical Center (SJMC) in Towson, Md., received word that their cardiac stent procedures may have been unwarranted, Maryland attorneys filed a 19-page lawsuit against the facility alleging that Mark G. Midei, MD, director of the SJMC cath lab violated the Maryland Medical Practice Act. The court documents accuse Midei of performing “hundreds, if not thousands, of unnecessary cardiac stent procedures on patients.” Now, this case and others like it have left most wondering what this will mean for the industry.

Contributor: Old cardiac stem cells get boost with new technique

As people age, their stem cells also age, diminishing their functionality. Many studies conducted to determine the efficacy of cardiac stem cell therapy have used donor cells from younger patients. These cells are healthy and readily adopt the cardiogenic phenotype researchers are interested in. The problem with that approach, however, is that in clinical trials, researchers want to use patients' stem cells, but they can't expect to have similar results as with younger donor cells. The answer is to find a way to manipulate autologous cells so they regain their "youthful" function.Author: Atta Behfar, MD

CMS Webinar: Incentive payments to offset EHR adoption, not reimburse

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.

CMS webinar: Eligible professionals can expect EHR incentives in 2011

Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.