May/Jun 2015 | Cardiovascular Business

Workflow in the Lab: Going from Stuck to Steady

Nothing irritates cardiologists in cath and electrophysiology labs more than trip wires that bring workflow to an abrupt halt. Backups, bed shortages, AWOL equipment and interruptions can delay and disrupt procedures, undermine patient care and create waste. Many of these situations are avoidable, but sometimes, like it or not, slowdowns are necessary.  

A Tip-top Lab of One’s Own

Fifteen years ago, cardiac electrophysiologists may have felt like kid siblings who had to share a bedroom with an older brother or sister. That has changed. 

Example of an interventional echocardiographer manipulating a transesophageal echo (TEE) probe to help guide a structural heart procedure. Communication between the interventional imager and the interventional cardiologists is key to understanding what is seen in the images. Image courtesy of GE Healthcare

Valves in 3D: Updated Echo Techniques Add Clarity

Three-dimensional imaging adds a needed perspective to cardiac procedures. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the field of valvular interventions. 

Stress Test: Evidence Mounts in Regadenoson’s Favor

The FDA issued a warning in late 2013 about rare but serious adverse events in some patients who received regadenoson, one of nuclear cardiology’s favorite pharmacologic stress agents. That didn’t dampen enthusiasm for it in the least. Instead, physicians show it has much more to offer. 

Structured Reporting: The Road Map for Better Data, Workflow and Reports

Creating the structured cardiac cath lab procedure report is the first step to improving patient care and data accuracy, coordinating intraprocedure workflow across the clinical team, making registry reporting seamless, and reducing overall cost of care.

FFR & IVUS: Putting Tools to Good Use

Think of fractional flow reserve (FFR) as a hex wrench. Or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as a screwdriver. Both imaging methods are highly useful in the right situation, according to physicians. Both methods can be highly effective, when used. However, there is some disagreement about where and when these tools should be applied.

Abbott has received an expanded FDA indication approval for its CardioMEMs HF System, making the solution available for patients in earlier stages (NYHA stage II) of heart failure (HF). New FDA indication for CardioMEMS

Success in Heart Failure: Keeping Patients Free of Hospitals

Some implantable cardiac devices capture data that may indicate worsening health in patients with heart failure. Cardiologists are beginning to use that information to identify at-risk patients and intervene before their conditions deteriorate and require hospitalization.

It’s a Name Changer: Designation Removes Impediments for Interventional Cardiologists

Finally. The approval of a designation for interventional cardiologists allows the subspecialists to be recognized by Medicare for who they are and what they do. And what a difference it makes.

How Cardiologists Can Take Advantage of Social Media’s Power

Spend any time online and it’s not hard to stumble across countless advice articles on how to maintain a professional presence on social media.

Tech & Touch: Keys to Successful Heart Failure Management

Heart Success has single-digit 30-day readmission rates for heart failure. Here is how it meets that challenge.

CEO & HRS Leader’s Strategy: Listen, Ask, Recruit & Step Back

As an early career electrophysiologist, Richard I. Fogel, MD, learned to raise his hand when projects needed a captain. Now he’s CEO of the St. Vincent Medical Group in Indianapolis and president of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). His formula? Listen, ask good questions, surround yourself with talented people and let them do their jobs, he explains in a Q&A with Cardiovascular Business.

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