The general population should not be screened for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis because the risk for stroke is very low, according to draft recommendations by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published online Feb. 18.

Partners HealthCare At Home has selected Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) to support its growing telemonitoring services, providing improved clinical oversight for newly discharged patients and those with chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure. With this enhanced care, Partners HealthCare At Home nursing staff can remotely monitor a patient's health by tracking vital signs and intervening earlier with medical attention, successfully reducing the rate of costly hospital readmissions.

Advocate Sherman Hospital has been selected as one of only 10 hospitals in the country to participate in the American College of Cardiology Patient Navigator Program. Developed by the American College of Cardiology and supported by founding sponsor, AstraZeneca, the Patient Navigator program allows Sherman to provide personalized services to heart disease patients and help them avoid a quick return to the hospital.

Providers should inform patients of radiation exposure with cardiac imaging procedures and doses of more than 20 mSv warrant more extensive discussion, according to recommendations published online Feb. 12 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

A program for physicians that included participation in small groups to focus on ways to prevent burnout and increase empowerment helped improve meaningfulness and engagement, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that hackers conducted “very thorough” attacks in 2013 on computer systems at three prominent cardiovascular device manufacturers: Medtronic, Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical.  An executive at Boston Scientific called the report inaccurate.

Cardiology may be a step ahead of some other specialties in participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). An analysis of self-referrals to specialists found that the percentage of new patient self-referrals in cardiology was lower than the national norm for both Medicare and private insurance beneficiaries.

Knowing how old their heart is may lead people to lower their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk better than a modified Framingham risk score, a study published online Feb. 3 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found.