CardioExchange Archive

August 7th, 2014

How Should We Evaluate Hospital Care?

Xiao Xu, PhD

Dr. Xiao Xu weighs in on the question of how we should quantify the cost-effectiveness of hospital care.

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May 14th, 2013

Study Questions Role of Dual-Chamber ICDs for Primary Prevention

Larry Husten, PHD

The majority of patients who receive an ICD for primary prevention without a pacing indication have a dual-chamber ICD implanted. Although there are a number of theoretical advantages with dual-chamber devices, they are more likely to cause complications than single-chamber devices. Although CMS requires providers to justify the medical necessity of dual-chamber devices, current guidelines […]

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August 6th, 2012

TAVR and the Price of Innovation

Daniel Mark, Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD

In an article published in Circulation, Daniel Mark and Robert Mentz of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and University Medical Center examine the economic and policy implications of the recent validation of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the PARTNER trials. CardioExchange is fortunate and pleased to present Dr. Mark’s responses to questions about his […]

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August 15th, 2011

Drug Eluting Stents: It Pays To Be Picky

Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD

 Why buy the most expensive stent when the cheaper one works just as well?  Two recent studies suggest that a more selective use of stents has merits.  In an analysis of pooled data from 4 trials (SPIRIT II-IV and COMPARE) comparing the more-expensive everolimus-eluting stent (EES) with the less-expensive paclitaxel eluting stent (PES), Stone and colleagues identified a […]

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April 3rd, 2011

PARTNER B Substudy Examines Cost-Effectiveness of TAVI

Larry Husten, PHD

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is about as cost-effective as other common cardiovascular procedures, according to results of the PARTNER B cost-effectiveness substudy, which were presented today at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans. (The main results of PARTNER B, which studied the safety and efficacy of TAVI in patients with severe […]

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November 2nd, 2010

Is Dabigatran More Cost-Effective Than Warfarin in AF?

Amy Herman

Dabigatran, newly approved by the FDA to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), might turn out to be a cost-effective alternative to warfarin, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine study. Using data from the RE-LY trial, James Freeman and colleagues modeled the quality-adjusted survival and cost-effectiveness of dabigatran compared with high- or low-dose warfarin […]

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