May/June 2008

Biting the bullet on a new purchase is always an uncertain proposition, especially in a volatile market. Practices need to learn about the market, weigh the pros and cons of leasing and purchasing and consider competition, reimbursement and regulations.

The persistent discrepancy between the door-to-balloon times of on-hours versus off-hours in STEMI patients undergoing PCI procedures can be solved through cost-effective means; however, some argue that an expensive and complex pre-activation program is needed to bring off-hour times in line with those of on-hours.

While cost-savings might not be immediately apparent, benefits of digital echo include increased accuracy and efficiency, ease of accessing information and better patient care.

Since its emergence within molecular imaging, SPECT/CT has steadily gained momentum. Early, as well as late adopters now look to the dual modality to create new opportunities for revenue expansion and methods of improving patient care. Still, it can be a hard sell to a group practice or department to purchase a hybrid system because the economic justification for it within nuclear cardiology remains unclear.

IHE initiative seeks to facilitate the interconnectivity of the multi-vendor systems that are commonly found in the cardiovascular environment.

The intricacy of the business of medicine mandates that leaders pay attention to the smallest details of every aspect of cardiovascular treatment and care. While the articles in this issue span the gamut of cardiovascular imaging, informatics, and management, they have one thing in common: they drill down into the fundamentals of good business practices and sound financial planning.

Today’s top healthcare leaders know that their organizations cannot succeed without dedicated, hard-working employees. They recognize that talented, devoted people are positively essential for operating a worldclass organization.

Incorporating coronary CT angiography into a cardiology practice’s imaging mix requires a thorough understanding of many things including potential turf issues, siting requirements, workflow and reimbursement. Despite these challenges, cardiovascular programs can maintain a competitive edge by incorporating coronary CTA, especially given the current environment of stiff competition, personnel shortages, overworked staff and decreased reimbursement.

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