CMS raises reimbursement for ECP therapy

ScottCare (Cleveland) reported that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has significantly increased reimbursement levels for external counterpulsation (ECP) therapy, effective Jan. 1.

While 2007 Medicare physician payments for cardiology overall dropped by 2%, ECP merited a 6.3% increase. As a result, the new 2007 national average physician reimbursement for ECP therapy increased to $147 per one-hour session and $5,160 for the complete course of treatment.

Nicore ECP systems are used by hundreds of hospitals and office practices across the country, providing clinicians with a proven, non-invasive cardiac care therapy to improve the health and quality of life for cardiac patients. Clinical studies have demonstrated that ECP therapy benefits more than 80% of patients treated, with significant improvement in relief of the symptoms of angina and heart failure, increased functional capacity, and reduced dependence on medication.

Since 1989, ScottCare has made medical devices serving cardiopulmonary professionals.

Theragenics' campaign back in the saddle

Theragenics (Atlanta), a medical device company serving the prostate cancer and surgical markets, reported its return to the sport of professional bull riding to promote its prostate cancer treatment awareness campaign. Professional bull rider Greg Potter will serve as the campaign's spokesman, educating men with the campaign's simple message, "Know your options for prostate cancer treatment."

The campaign launched in tandem with the 2007 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough Series tour, which kicked off in New York City in January at Madison Square Garden.

"In 2005 we became the first cancer treatment company to sponsor the PBR," said M. Christine Jacobs, president/CEO of Theragenics. "The general appeal of the PBR allowed us to effectively message to men, and the success of that campaign exceeded our expectations. With the addition of Greg Potter, we look forward to building on the momentum we created two years ago."

Previous campaign spokesman and champion bull rider Owen Washburn blazed the trail in 2005 with personal appearances and a breakthrough television commercial that broadcast in key markets nationwide. As a result of the company's awareness efforts, calls to the TheraSeed Prostate Cancer Information Center increased by up to 2,000% over typical volumes in the broadcast markets and TheraSeed sales increased in most of the targeted markets.

Medical glove sector to reach $1.35B

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (F&S; Palo Alto, California) on the U.S. medical gloves markets says that revenues in this market totaled $990 million in 2005 and is projected to reach $1.35 billion in 2010.

The major technology trends for the medical exam glove market will include the advancement of glove materials for better fit and greater barrier protection in an acute environment. This will include a continued focus on non-latex alternatives, such as synthetic and nitrile products that are softer and provide greater comfort, similar to latex, although without the fear of negative reactions.

In respect to the challenges, issues involving negative allergen reactions and increasing price pressures are likely to impede the growth of latex gloves within the U.S. market. The market for NRL powder gloves will in fact see negative growth every year, while the NRL powder-free gloves will continue to witness a declining growth rate through the forecast period, according to F&S research.

Verathon issues urology 'challenge'

Verathon (Bothell, Washington) (formerly Diagnostic Ultrasound) reported issuing a "Urology Challenge," offering $10,000 for "the most practical and scientifically valid protocol" to study the relationship between bladder wall mass and overactive bladder (OAB) or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) in men. The goal is to determine how bladder wall mass (also known as ultrasound-estimated bladder weight [UEBW] measurements can best be used in clinical practice.

The significance of bladder wall mass in bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and OAB has been noted, but to date it has not been well defined, Verathon said, and that measurement of bladder wall mass may provide useful information for guiding patient care.

Verathon recently developed a handheld ultrasound device, the BladderScan BVM 6500 that measures both bladder volume UEBW non-invasively and is designed to assist in diagnosis of bladder hypertrophy secondary to obstruction, predicated on a correlation between UEBW and BOO. The goal of the challenge is to maximize the BladderScan BVM 6500's clinical utility and significance as a diagnostic and treatment tool.

"Because measurement of bladder hypertrophy is quite labor-intensive when performed with standard ultrasound instruments, it has not really entered clinical use to date," said Gerald McMorrow, CEO, founder and chairman of Verathon. "The BVM 6500 allows this measurement to be taken in minutes without complex mathematical computations, without poorly fitted approximations, and without invasive instillations of known amounts of saline."

Abstracts must be submitted to Verathon no later than March 31. The winning abstract announced at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA; Linthicum, Maryland) in May in Anaheim, California.