Brian Maher on September 7, 2012 |
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Topics: Service Lines, Cardiovascular, Electrophysiology, Performance Improvement, Quality, Reimbursement, Finance, Medicare, Payer and Regulatory Policy, Revenue Cycle
The federal Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a novel approach to accelerate its ongoing investigation of implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) procedures performed outside of CMS’s National Coverage Decision (NCD).
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DOJ seeks to accelerate ICD implant investigation
on September 4, 2012 |
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Topics: Medical Cardiology, Cardiovascular, Service Lines, Stroke, Electrophysiology
Nicole MacMillan, Cardiovascular Roundtable
The introduction of novel oral anticoagulants to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients was hotly anticipated when the first of three new drugs hit the market in October 2010, and continues to be a frequent topic of discussion in industry journals and newsletters. While the Roundtable has covered the introduction of these new drugs in the past, we wanted to provide a more comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs, as well as what these new drugs could mean for those treating AF.
The three novel oral anticoagulants, dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim), rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer/ Johnson & Johnson) and apixaban (Eliquis, Pfizer/ Bristol-Myers Squibb), have been expected to revolutionize stroke prevention in AF patients, offering physicians the chance to take AF patients off warfarin.
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What’s going on with novel oral anticoagulants for AF?
on August 15, 2012 |
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Topics: Electrophysiology, Cardiovascular, Service Lines, Technology Assessment, Planning, Strategy
Nicole MacMillan, Cardiovascular Roundtable
As our colleagues in Technology Insights reported in their 2012 Heart Rhythm Society conference round-up, one recent advance in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) has the potential to revolutionize treatment of the disease.
Presented as late-breaking trial results at the HRS meeting, and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in late July, the results of the Conventional Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation With or Without Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation (CONFIRM) Trial show great promise for revolutionizing AF treatment.
FIRM approach differs from traditional PVI ablation
FIRM ablation refers to the process of targeting physiologic factors (namely, rotors and focal impulses) to uncover the root cause of AF, whereas traditional approaches to AF ablation have been anatomical, focusing on the amount of power needed to ablate a particular area in a given patient.
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FIRM-guided ablation: The next big thing for AF?
