December 7, 2023- Vizient, Inc. released its latest Medical Device Tech Watch, exploring cardiac ablation modalities and advancements in remote patient monitoring. In addition, this edition reviews new regulations and imaging alternatives for early breast cancer detection. Read Medical Device Tech Watch.
“New technology offers advancements in diagnosis and treatment in patient care and can be accompanied by new regulations as well,” said Josh Aaker, senior director, intelligence, Vizient. “Vizient is committed to helping providers assess new technology and understand any new guidance that come with it.”
Featured articles include:
- Exploring current and future cardiac ablation modalities in the face of growing atrial fibrillation prevalence—The number of patients with arrhythmias is expected to nearly double to 12 million by 2030, according to published reports, and as such, there’s a growing focus on a primary treatment method known as cardiac ablation. This article examines two commonly used methods — radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation — as well as pulsed field ablation (PFA), currently under development, which uses electrical pulses instead of heating and cooling methods to ablate the heart. Early reports on PFA have yielded significant findings in speed and safety.
- Cardiovascular technology advancements: a look at new wearable remote patient monitoring devices and artificial intelligence-enabled care pathways—Technological advancements in cardiovascular health are evolving at a rapid rate. The future of cardiac remote monitoring will likely leverage artificial intelligence to process data and as a potential tool to suggest patient diagnoses, according to one recent study. Providers should ensure vendors meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ high level seven data requirements, which allows a secure exchange of patient data between monitoring devices and the electronic medical record.
- Women’s Health: new breast density regulations and imaging alternatives for early breast cancer detection— As an independent risk factor for breast cancer, dense breast tissue raises concerns for almost 47% of women in the U.S. Beginning Sept. 10, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will require imaging facilities to report to patients and their referring providers when it is detected. Recent findings show 3-D imaging offers more details in dense tissue, identifying lesions that standard mammography could not. At the same time, updated guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommend breast cancer screenings begin at age 40 rather than 50 to increase early detection. Taken together, the technology and guidelines can make significant strides in identifying breast cancer at its earliest stages and improving outcomes.