The FDA approved the third thienopyridine agent, prasugrel (Effient, Eli Lilly/Daiichi Sankyo), in July 2009, challenging the U.S. market dominance of clopidogrel (Plavix, Bristol Myers Squibb/Sanofi Aventis). Yet, some cardiologists are being cautious about rapid, widespread adoption, and uptake has been slower than expected. Meanwhile, other options—such as reversible agents—loom on the horizon.

Clinicians are experiencing data overload, exacerbating the potential to stall decision making,  and, thereby, negatively impacting patient care. Experts agree that a shortage of intensivists, cardiologists and nurses in the U.S. will only worsen in the next five to 10 years as the need for their services increases. Advanced wired, wireless and telemedicine monitoring technologies are helping to meet the increasing demands of an aging population and decreasing healthcare resources, while leading to improved outcomes and reduced lengths of stay.

Being connected in 2009 is a 24/7/365 proposition. While good connections in business relations can bring profits—effective IT-enabled connections across a multi-site healthcare organization allow significant reductions and efficiencies in operating and staff costs and better care for patients via expanded regional reach for many facilities. Faster clinical decision-making comes from quickly communicated results, more complete imaging history facilitates better decision-making, and improved physician satisfaction via tailored, comprehensive reports delivered swiftly in the means the physician prefers to review them ensures that referrals continue.

Electrophysiology (EP), as a subspecialty, is coming into its own. Electrophysiologists have access to more capital than in the past, and with a 10 to 15 percent annual market growth, it is one of the fastest growing sectors within cardiology. Vendors have taken notice and are focusing on technology and designs that cater specifically to EP docs.

Cardiovascular Business invited some of the most prominent physicians in the field of electrophysiology to talk about the current and future state of the subspecialty.

Cardiovascular Business invited representatives from the four major stent manufacturers to discuss the challenges and future outlook for drug-eluting stents (DES).

Planning and creating the best cath lab for your facility and market requires a wide range of considerations, from current and future business patterns to space design to workflow and communication concerns. A good plan that includes input from all the relevant stakeholders goes a long way toward a successful long-term venture.

Cardiac cath labs operate in an increasingly challenging environment, contending with a variety of clinical, demographic, regulatory and competitive factors.

Radiology is evolving at breakneck pace with clinical needs, demographic realities and IT development converging to create change. Looking into radiology’s crystal ball is never an exact science.

The concept of clinical decision support is simple. It delivers context-specific education material in real time to a physician trying to make a patient-care decision. But implementing decision support in clinical practice? That’s a bit more complicated.