A revolution in chronic heart failure management and more in CV Directions Vol. 3, No. 1

Posted on by Kurt Jensen

This is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring solution proven to reduce heart failure hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure. And the reduction is significant— 28 percent within the first six months and 37 percent over 15 months demonstrated in a large randomized study...

Learn more about CardioMEMS, find strategies to improve case mix index, or build a learning community in your team through preceptorship—all inside the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals flagship, peer-reviewed publication, CV Directions.

Continue reading A revolution in chronic heart failure management and more in CV Directions Vol. 3, No. 1

Routine Cardiac Catheterization Expanding to Saturdays?

Posted on by Kurt Jensen

Expanding availability of elective, non-emergent cardiac catheterization services to Saturdays might significantly reduce length of stay, with no effect on clinical quality reports a recent economic impact study.

The study, published online in the American Journal of Managed Care found that reduced length of stay did not result in total cost savings, however.

In January 2009, Mayo Clinic Rochester expanded cardiac catheterization service availability (CSA) to Saturdays with the "goal of timely access with improved efficiency of care," write the authors.

Despite succeeding in greatly reducing length of stay—a statistically significant, adjusted average of 1.73 days—total costs of care were similar prior to CSA expansion.

Continue reading Routine Cardiac Catheterization Expanding to Saturdays?

Taylor Swift in the Cath Lab? Music in the Cath Lab Debate

Posted on by Kurt Jensen

Does music play during procedures in your lab? Who chooses the music?

A recent study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal found that "when plastic surgeons listen to music they prefer, their surgical technique and efficiency when closing incisions is improved," says a University of Texas Medical Branch press release.

While many studies have been conducted supporting the idea that music reduces stress and promotes efficiency for operating room staff, this study adds to a more limited evidence base that suggests music can improve technical performance and speed of a procedure.

Why does it matter? Reducing the time of a procedure can lead to significant cost savings, of course, and in cardiac emergencies where "time is muscle," promoting procedure efficiency is key to providing quality care.

But should the cardiologist control music in the cath lab?

Continue reading Taylor Swift in the Cath Lab? Music in the Cath Lab Debate

A Clinical Ladder in the Procedural Setting

Posted on by Kurt Jensen

Are you climbing the clinical ladder?

Often in clinical settings, there are limited opportunities for upward mobility. In fact, the clinical "ladder" in your organization might be a single position---Team Leader---or you might not be climbing at all.

Continue reading A Clinical Ladder in the Procedural Setting