Care Delivery

This channel includes news on cardiovascular care delivery, including how patients are diagnosed and treated, cardiac care guidelines, policies or legislation impacting patient care, device recalls that may impact patient care, and cardiology practice management.

commercial health insurance

AHA head: ‘Time to hold commercial health insurers accountable’

The problem of commercial health insurers standing between patients and providers is bad and only getting worse.

fasting before tavr or ablation

Relaxed fasting instructions prior to TAVR, other heart procedures do not affect outcomes

Fasting before major operations has been common in healthcare for nearly 80 years, but that has started to change since the turn of the century. 

The ThermoCool SmartTouch SF catheter from Biosense Webster

FDA approves several Biosense Webster devices for fluoroscopy-free ablation procedures

Using these devices as part of a zero-fluoroscopy workflow, which replaces X-rays with an alternative modality such as ultrasound, limits radiation exposure and the use of burdensome protective equipment.

Hospital financial trouble

AHA urges hospital stakeholders to wake up and smell the financial trouble that’s been brewing

The American Hospital Association is sounding the alarm over evidently widespread acceptance of 0% operating margins—or even negative margins—as a sort of “new normal” for U.S. hospitals and health systems.  

us news world report best hospitals

U.S. News: Out with overall hospital rankings, in with alphabetically ordered ‘honor rolls’

U.S. News & World Report has posted its annual list of America’s best hospitals. But be warned. If you’re checking to see whether Mayo Clinic occupies the overall top spot for the eighth straight year, you’ll go down looking.

artificial intelligence healthcare industry digest

Industry Watcher’s Digest

Buzzworthy developments of the past few days.

healthcare workforce occupational shift

5 reasons healthcare will withstand the onslaught of ‘occupational shift’

Lines of work that shed staff en masse during the COVID pandemic will probably continue shrinking between now and the end of the decade.

physician burnout depression

Pandemic or business as usual, perfectionistic physicians are more prone to depression, suicidality

Physicians whose personality traits include maladaptive perfectionism are at increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation compared with peers who don’t bear this type of neurosis.