According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States for the past 80 years and is a major cause of disability. The CDC estimates that approximately 61 million people in the United States have heart disease, and approximately 950,000 people die from the condition each year. Overall, heart disease contributes to approximately 40 percent of all deaths.

In 50 years, echocardiography has gone from a single dimensional view of the heart to a 3D and even 4D real-time technique. Adding to echo’s sophistication are quantitative analysis, greater portability, better workflow and efficient information management.

Advanced visualization has shot from the realm of experimental, futuristic technology to almost routine practice in just a few short years. While the reliance by physicians on 3D varies, clinicians can often determine the presence and extent of heart disease without an invasive procedure. On the horizon, 3D users see further improvements that will reduce radiation exposure and speedier interpretation times.

Cardiac catheterization labs across the country are evolving. Changes in types and volumes of procedures combined with an increasingly competitive environment and reimbursement cuts are forcing cath labs to adapt and fine-tune their management strategies. What brings success? Diversifying into EP and peripheral vascular procedures, tightly managing and even consigning pricey inventory such as drug-eluting stents, cross-training staff, and ensuring high flexibility.

Numerous radiology groups are currently discussing arrangements whereby cardiologists and the radiologists would essentially split the responsibilities for reading coronary CT angiography (CCTA) studies. Most commonly, as proposed, the cardiologists would read and generate a signed interpretation report, but limited to the cardiac portion of the