Skip to content

(← Return to Index)

Periodic Cardiovascular News Update and Implications August 2020

John W. Meyer, LFACHE, and Charles W. Franc

Periodic News Update and Implications

Periodically, CFA will highlight a few significant news articles on cardiovascular topics -- clinical or organizational.  Reprinted below are four news items we found interesting and worthy to highlight.

  For full information, the links to the original news sources are included.  We have included our interpretation of the organizational implications of each item.

Springboard’s Back to Work Survey Results

Springboard, a healthcare staffing and education firm, conducted a Back to Work Survey, between June 18, 2020 and July 6, 2020, to analyze the current state of the Cath/EP/IR industry and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on it.  The national survey, distributed by e-mail to facility managers across a diverse cross-section of rural and urban facilities, was developed in cooperation with managers and director-level professionals who were looking for answers to twelve specific questions related to the current and changing landscape of an industry being shaped by the pandemic.

The survey received 135 responses and provided key insights on these and other critical topics:

  • Methods of disinfection for PPE
  • Factors contributing to operational capacity
  • Caseloads
  • Planning.

See the full, detailed survey results here.

Implications – Without question, hospital CV programs have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – directly and indirectly through the hospitals overall financial health and substantially decreased patient volumes.  This survey documents that fact.  On a going-forward basis, much will have to change to convince many CV patients that have deferred hospital visits and procedures that they will be safe and treated appropriately.  (Also, refer to the following paragraph).  Additionally, assuring availability to timely COVID-19 testing was also an issue raised by a significant number of those surveyed.  Many of those surveyed are unclear on when operations and patient volumes will return to normal.

American Heart Association “Don’t Die of Doubt” Campaign

The American Heart Association has launched a public communication campaign targeting hospital patient safety during the coronavirus pandemic.  Aimed at cardiac and potential stroke patients, the information provided focuses on urging patients to not delay needed or urgent medical care because of fear of going to the hospital.  The program stresses the measures that hospitals utilize to assure patient safety. The Don’t Die of Doubt campaign information can be found here.

Implications – As highlighted in the Springboard Back to Work survey described above, patient fears and concerns regarding visiting the hospital for testing or needed procedures during the coronavirus pandemic continue to suppress cardiac care activity.  It will benefit patients and hospitals throughout the country if hospitals can effectively communicate the patient safety measures they consistently employ during the pandemic and educate their community on the risks of delaying diagnosis and treatment.

SCAI Issues Position Paper on PCI in ASC’s

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) issued a position paper on May 14, 2020 concerning PCI in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began reimbursing for PCI in ASCs in 2020 after data were published supporting same-day discharge after PCI.

ASCs can appropriately perform diagnostic procedures, such as left and right heart catheterization and coronary angiography, as well as intravascular imaging, physiologic assessment, and coronary angioplasty and stenting, according to the document.

But the statement says that only patients who are candidates for same-day discharge should be treated in ASCs, and not all of these patients would be appropriate for the ASC.

“It is crucial that patients in the ASC receive the same quality of care as those in the hospital setting…This paper is a ‘must-read’ for anyone involved with PCI in an ASC.” Lyndon C. Box, MD, chair of the writing group that prepared this document and an interventional cardiologist at West Valley Cardiology Services in Idaho, said in a statement at the release of the position paper.

The Position Paper can be accessed here.  Additionally, a companion statement was issued May 11, 2020 on optimal percutaneous coronary interventional therapy for complex coronary artery disease (available here.)

Implications – Hospitals in markets with competing ASC’s (and not otherwise prohibited by State regulation) have reason to be concerned that they will potentially lose PCI business if cardiologists shift selective business to ASC’s, particularly if they have a financial interest in such facilities.  Notably, CMS has specifically excluded PCI for coronary artery bypass grafts, chronic total occlusions (CTO), myocardial infarction or coronary atherectomy from being reimbursed in an ASC site of service. The implication is that only “clinically easy,” elective cases will be performed in ASC’s, leaving the more difficult cases to be done in-hospital.  The SCAI has published a list of “unfavorable patient conditions,” and “complex or high-risk lesion characteristics” that should be deferred to the hospital setting.  In general, the PCI market is changing, with increasingly complex cases.  The shift in procedural volume from hospitals to ASCs will have financial implications for hospitals that could potentially impact their ability to provide other necessary services, as well as adversely impacting cost per case and clinical outcomes.  Hospitals need to monitor this scenario very seriously.

Key Trends in Cardiac CT at SCCT 2020

Hospitals that are planning or are already pursing advanced imaging programs utilizing CT should be encouraged by the multitude of new and evolving advances highlighted in the Society for Cardiovascular CT (SCCT) 2020 virtual meeting.  Hot topics included quantification of low-attenuation coronary plaque as the next big cardiac risk assessment, coronary artery shear stress as a marker for heart attacks, CT for the assessment of non-STEMI patients, the role of CT in COVID-19, CT's role in structural heart assessments, as well as new CT technologies.   The trial that had many people talking was the SCOT-HEART Trial: LAP (low-attenuation plaque) Burden sub-study.  It showed non low attenuation, noncalcified plaque accurately predicts MI.  The study found there was a five-fold increase in MI if LAP was above 4 percent.  Classifying plaque can be tedious to characterize manually and subject to reader variability, so this study used a semi-automated artificial intelligence (AI)-based plaque quantification software to standardize how the plaque was analyzed.

Other key topics covered at the SCCT 2020 virtual sessions included information on the recent incorporation of calcium scoring into guidelines for primary cardiac risk assessment and cardiac CT increases in uses while reimbursement has been decreased.

For a full review, go to the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology website here.  A CFA article titled CT Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Revisited:  One Hospital’s Successful Cardiac Screening Program, can be found here.

Implications – Advanced imaging continues to rapidly evolve the use of cardiac CT as a diagnostic tool.  Many hospitals have been slow to adapt cardiac CT beyond basic coronary artery calcium scoring for risk-assessment and diagnosis, particularly in light of the dearth of cardiologists truly qualified to use CT to its fullest potential.  While most of the reported developments from SCCT 2020 are not in everyday practice, their future is very positive.  However, reimbursement for existing approved scans has been diminished.  Hospitals need to continually explore advanced imaging technologies, particularly CV CT, as these advancements move into accepted practice.  Recruiting and supporting cardiologists with advanced imaging training and certification will be critical to advance these technologies in the future.  Look for a future blog post from CFA on advanced cardiovascular imaging.

If you are interested in learning more about any of these important issues or in cardiac services strategic development, service expansion and/or other programmatic needs for cardiovascular or other services, please contact CFA at (949) 443-4005 or by e-mail at cfa@charlesfrancassociates.com.  


Related Posts

Cardiovascular News Update and Implications

John W. Meyer, LFACHE, and Charles W. Franc

Periodically, CFA will highlight a few significant news articles on cardiovascular topics –...

Read more

Quarterly Cardiovascular News Update and Implications

John W. Meyer, LFACHE

Occasionally, CFA will highlight a few significant news articles on cardiovascular topics --...

Read more