Young can benefit from defibrillator
A study published in Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology shows that primary intervention with defibrillator therapy is cost-effective and even cost-gaining in young people with genetic cardiac disorders.
“The implanted cardioverter defibrillator [ICD] has been shown to efficiently terminate life-threatening arrhythmias affecting patients born with genetic abnormalities in the electrical system of the heart,“ said Dr. Ilan Goldenberg of the Heart Research Follow-Up Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center (Rochester, New York). “However, data on the yield of this mode of therapy derives mostly from studies of adult patients with acquired cardiac disease.“
ICD therapy was found to be beneficial and cost effective with a ratio in the range of $30,000 to $185,000 per quality-adjusted-life-year saved in adult patients with acquired heart disease. In high-risk young males and females with genetic cardiac disorders, ICD implantation resulted in cost savings in the range of $15,000 to $20,000 per quality-adjusted-life-year saved.
“An analytical model based on current knowledge of the risks of patients with genetic cardiac disorders [showed] that in this high-risk population, intervention with a defibrillator at the age of 10 years is cost-effective or even associated with economic gains due to the societal contributions of young and otherwise healthy patients in whom defibrillator therapy extends life,“ Goldenberg said.
Providers join health information network
Clarian Health Partners and St. Francis Hospitals & Health Centers (both Indianapolis) have joined the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE), a system developed by the non-profit corporation for sharing clinical information among healthcare providers. IHIE uses software called Docs4Docs Clinical Messaging, which provides Clarian and St. Francis physicians and practices with patient information such as clinical reports, transcripts and admission, discharge and transfer records. It also allows physicians to exchange information with physicians at other hospitals who are part of IHIE. The clinical messaging system cuts the cost of paper reports in half, IHIE said.
IHIE said it is evaluating 18 other types of data sources to expand the clinical messaging system, including medication histories, and that it expects to increase the system's interactive capabilities by providing clinical remin-ders to alert physicians.
IHIE is among the first start-up enterprises formed through BioCrossroads (Indianapolis), Indiana's life sciences organization, in collaboration with regional hospitals, the Regenstrief Institute and other state and local health organizations.
Advanced BioPhotonics retains IR firm
Advanced BioPhotonics (Bohemia, New York), a developer of medical imaging applications for disease detection, disease management and drug discovery applications, has contracted with the Investor Relations Group (New York) as its financial relations and corporate communications firm.
The Investor Relations Group will increase investor awareness of Advanced BioPhotonics within the U.S. market by introducing the company and its management to pre-qualified fund managers.
Advanced BioPhotonics' lead product, the BioScanIR System, is designed to detect minute changes in blood perfusion to improve disease detection, enhance clinical decision-making and improve therapy management in a variety of medical applications.