Some architects of patient-centered medical home models suggest that a specialist team should lead patient management within the medical home. Others favor primary care physicians. But regardless of who owns the patientand by proxy, the medical homebetter coordination of care is needed.
It takes a village to treat the most complex patient, says Mary Norine Walsh, MD, medical director of heart failure and cardiac transplantation at Care Group/St. Vincents Health System in Indianapolis.
Fractional flow reserve, intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography wont eliminate what cardiologists term the gray zoneambiguous cases that fall between appropriate and notbut they may provide evidence to help clinicians use good judgment.
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) rarely give warnings and the chances of surviving a ruptured AAA are slim. Most AAAs are found during routine ultrasound exams, but new screening initiatives may help better identify at-risk patients.
Savvy cath lab managers have learned a number of ways to cut down on costs without compromising care. Trimming waste, expanding buying power, building partnerships and automating processes help achieve these goals.
At Midwest Heart Specialists, implementing quality improvement and investing in EHRs go hand in hand. Its EHR system has allowed Midwest Heart to design and meet internal benchmarks and participate in quality-focused federal incentive programs that offset some of the costs of EHRs. Most importantly, EHRs have helped Midwest Heart caregivers effectively serve patients.
