July/August 2017

For all the talk of the need to more closely tie physicians’ compensation to quality care and value, productivity continues to dominate payment schemes. Still, some cardiology groups are finding ways to shift from volume toward value using strategies built off their histories and cultures.

As the U.S. transitions toward new payment models, healthcare organizations are rethinking how specialized postacute care clinics figure into efforts to improve patients’ outcomes and reduce costs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) delayed the launch of a new episode payment model affecting three types of cardiac care, pushing the July 1 start date to 2018. That doesn’t mean providers and hospitals should throttle back on bundles’ preparations.

Why has the uptake of adjunctive diagnostic procedures like FFR, IVUS and OCT been slow? On the other hand, is there really a need for interventionalists to move beyond angiographic guidance?

Did the patent foramen ovale (PFO) cause the patient’s stroke? This, experts say, is the key question when deciding whether to recommend PFO closure. Heart–brain teams can help with the answer.   

As Medicare undergoes big changes, internally generated scorecards are becoming essential tools for physicians and practices to monitor performance and track progress toward goals.  

Sometimes the question you’re asked, or the one you heard, isn’t the one to answer—and other lessons learned in the data chasm.

Working and speaking together, through professional associations, makes the voices of cardiovascular experts more likely to be heard.

Cardiac imaging plays an important role in the cardiac care continuum, and choosing the right test can mean all the difference in quality care for both women and men.  

With a few practical steps, cardiology practices can meet the palliative care needs of heart failure patients.

There’s plenty of room for clinicians in hospital C-suites. Start by appreciating nonclinical expertise, zeroing in on shared concerns and leveraging “soft power.” 

Select an Issue
View the Digital Edition