SAN FRANCISCOWhen diabetic patients were treated with either the Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent or Xience V everolimus-eluting stent,  they saw similar one-year outcomes, Sigmund Silber, MD, director of the Heart Centre at the Isar in Munich, presented Nov. 8 at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference in San Francisco. Additionally, even in non-insulin dependent diabetes patients treated with the Resolute stent, clinical outcomes were similar to those outcomes seen in the non-diabetic population.

SAN FRANCISCOPatients with extensive coronary artery disease and a reduced left ventricular function who undergo PCI benefit from extensive revascularization. Additionally, patients who undergo extensive revascularization with the Impella device see substantially reduced 90-day event rates when compared with intra-aortic balloon pumps, Jeffrey J. Popma, MD, director of interventional cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said during a Nov. 8 presentation at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference.

SAN ANTONIOWhen Hospital Sisters Health System, a 13-hospital system in Wisconsin and Illinois, implemented computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and EHR, everything seemed finefor a little while. Just a couple of months after the installation, William Montgomery, CIO, received a letter from the physicians listing 38 issues that they wanted fixed within two weeks.

Two million neurons die per every minute that a stroke goes untreated, making rapid diagnosis and treatment crucial for the best outcomes. However, 45 percent of Americans live more than 60 minutes away from a primary stroke center. Enter telemedicine: telestroke networks have sprung up across the U.S., and are rapidly expanding, delivering revenue gains and improving patient outcomes.

LAS VEGASIf EHRs are going to be optimized to increase efficiency and the bottom line, administrators should consider more inclusivity in the implementation process, staff and physician workflows, training time and a phased-in implementation, according to an Oct. 24 presentation at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) 2011 annual conference.

Hypertension cost the U.S. economy nearly $73 billion in 2009, according to the American Heart Association, and these numbers may only be getting worse, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology. The researchers reported that hospitalizations for hypertensive emergencies are on the rise, even after the Joint National Committee released recommendations to help better detect, prevent and evaluate high blood pressure.

A review and analysis of 26 validated hospital readmission risk prediction models found that most, whether for hospital comparison or clinical purposes, have poor predictive ability, according to an article in the Oct.19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study authors added that although such models may prove useful in certain settings, efforts to improve their performance are needed as use becomes more widespread.

In healthcare, reform remains a hot topic. How can we do more with little money remains the question on the table for hospital administrators and staff. How can hospitals provide high-quality care when the government has asked all to take out the scissors and cut?