On the whole, does the EMR do more harm than good in U.S. healthcare? If a case can be made to unambiguously answer in the affirmative, Elizabeth Toll, MD, does just that in The Cost of Technology, a compelling essay currently running in the opinion section of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

We live and work in a chaotic world, which makes prioritizing, organizing and being vigilant ever-more valuable functions. Carrying these feats off requires commitment, though.

American Medical Imaging in Portsmouth, N.H., and Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend, Vt., have selected Novarads NovaPACS to outfit radiology centers. American Medical Imaging also is installing NovaRIS.

CHICAGOWhile transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains all the rage, Cathleen D. Biga, president and CEO of Cardiovascular Management of Illinois, delivered a sobering outlook based on the national coverage decision for the procedures at the 2nd annual MedAxiom's Cardiovascular Service Line Symposium.

Lead failures in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) appeared to be the topic du jour at the recent Heart Rhythm Societys 33rd annual scientific session in Boston. The brouhaha over a paper published in the societys peer-reviewed journal, HeartRhythm Journal, set the stage for the buzz. But talk in some quarters was less about problems and more about solutions.

Rehospitalization rates for heart failure (HF) patients remain high and new strategies are necessary to try to reduce this burden. Research published online May 24 in Circulation suggests a solution after researchers found that  telemonitoring helped to improve care and cut healthcare utilization rates.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston joined the ranks of many heart centers marketing to a female audience with the launch of a womens cardiovascular program. Is this merely a phase or a trend that will last?

BOSTONThe revenue generated by device clinic care is entirely consumed by the resources (time and salary) expended in an electrophysiology practice, asserted Suneet Mittal, MD, of the Valley Health System in New York City, during a presentation May 10 at the 33rd annual scientific sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society.