Brian Maher on November 16, 2011 |
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Topics: Cardiovascular, Service Lines, Imaging, CT, Nuclear Medicine, Outcomes, Quality, Performance Improvement, Appropriateness, Efficiency
Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) – a non-invasive anatomical imaging study most commonly used to identify possible stenoses in the coronary artery tree – continues to gain greater acceptance as a viable modality to diagnose or rule-out the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). When compared to well-established techniques such as stress testing and myocardial perfusion imaging, CCTA often demonstrates comparable, if not superior, diagnostic performance. As such, proponents argue CCTA – when used for appropriate patients and indications – can obviate the need for myocardial perfusion imaging and additional testing. In addition, CCTA may result in more efficient care by safely discharging patients with a negative test result who may otherwise undergo cardiac catheterization.
Despite its utility, few studies have examined the impact of CCTA on downstream testing and procedures, and subsequently, health care spending, when compared to standard approaches. This week, two new studies helped to shed light on the impact of CCTA, though the data result in more questions than answers regarding CCTA’s ability to reduce downstream utilization and health care costs.
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Does CCTA increase costs and downstream interventions?
Brian Maher on September 23, 2011 |
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Topics: Cardiovascular, Service Lines, CT, Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, Emergency Department, Cost Management, Margin Performance, Finance, Throughput, Efficiency, Performance Improvement, Risk Stratification, Methodologies, Appropriateness, Quality
The results of the highly anticipated CT-STAT trial were released this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study objective was to compare the efficiency, cost, and safety of coronary CT angiography to rest-stress myocardial perfusion imaging to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) for emergent low-risk patients. Overall, CCTA was found to be more efficient and less costly than traditional SPECT imaging in the diagnostic work-up of this patient subset. While helping to further validate the role of CCTA to expedite care for appropriate chest pain patients, the study raises new questions about future opportunities for CCTA, and if it can supplant more established tests for diagnosing and ruling-out CAD.
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Latest CT-STAT Results Point to Value of Coronary CTA
on August 17, 2010 |
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Topics: Cardiovascular, Service Lines, Quality, Performance Improvement, Cardiac Cath, Electrophysiology, Vascular, Nuclear Medicine, Imaging
The financial and operational implications of the shift of procedures from the inpatient to outpatient setting remain top-of-mind for cardiovascular administrators. Urgency stems from the growing percentage of short stay (1-2 day LOS) cases and the rollout of Recovery Audit Contractors this year, particularly as medical necessity issues for audits have recently been released. Both procedural and medical short-stay cases are under close scrutiny, namely PCI, ICD, heart failure and chest pain patients. But despite the federal push and payer pressures to move these cases out, the feasibility and clinical safety has been the subject of much debate.
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New Study Suggests Same-Day PCI Safe
