March/April 2014

Raymond S. Yen, MD

The sustainable growth rate formula has served as a reminder that physicians or their representatives need to be involved in the shaping of legislation that affects reimbursement and patient care. To be effective, cardiology’s advocates must choreograph and execute a delicate dance between persuasion, politics and what could be seen as self-interest.  

Ask and you shall receive? When it comes to registry data, it depends.

The late-breaking clinical trials at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific sessions often draw large crowds.

Biodegradable stents overcome some problems associated with other drug-eluting stents (DES), but advancements in newer durable polymers may give them a run for the money. 

With cardiovascular disease being the No. 1 killer of Americans and type 2 diabetes one of its most common comorbidities, a number of clinics see coordinated, comprehensive care as a way to treat both conditions.

Creating the best cardiac cath lab procedure report is the first step to bettering patient care and maximizing reimbursement in this competitive and complex zone.

If deployed well, health imaging systems can mean improved workflows, more cost- and time-efficient processes, fewer costly referrals and better care. Two providers share how recently implemented health imaging management systems in their cardiology departments and beyond shaped how they deliver care and some of the challenges and benefits along the way.

Talk about healthcare “big data” seems to be everywhere. It is a discussion generously leavened by the promise of the future and I am hopeful—even if only a quarter of it comes true—that it will herald a revolution in the delivery of effective and efficient clinical care. In the meantime, here is a hard-won personal primer for those of us who still have to work on planet Earth.

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