Heart Rhythm Society Heads National ICD Registry Working Group

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
 Services (CMS) has asked the Heart Rhythm Society to lead an implantable
 cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) Registry Working Group in response to its
 recent draft coverage decision for these devices.
     As part of the draft coverage decision, CMS has proposed a national
 registry be implemented for primary prevention ICD therapy.  Medical
 registries are often used to monitor medical conditions and outcomes after the
 implementation of prevention and treatment programs.
     The working group's charge is to provide recommendations to develop a
 national registry to follow Medicare/Medicaid patients receiving an ICD for
 primary prevention therapy.
     "We commend CMS in their decision to expand access to these life-saving
 devices and recommend immediate implementation," said Stephen C. Hammill,
 M.D., President of the Heart Rhythm Society, the international leader in
 science, education, and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and
 patients, and the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders.
     The recommendations will address:
 
     * Feasibility of mandatory national registry
     * Purpose of the registry and main question(s) to be answered
     * Design of registry
     * Patient and device data elements collected
     * Registry management
     * Funding
 
     Confirmed members of the working group include representatives from the
 following organizations, academic centers, and companies:
 
     * Heart Rhythm Society
     * American College of Cardiology
     * Heart Failure Society of America
     * Duke Clinical Research Institute
     * University of Pittsburgh Epidemiology Data Center
     * Indiana University Krannert Institute of Cardiology
     * Guidant
     * Medtronic
     * St. Jude
 
     Meetings will be held in October and November.  The presentation and
 submission of recommendations to CMS is expected by late November 2004.
 
     The Heart Rhythm Society (formerly NASPE) is the international leader in
 science, education, and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and
 patients, and the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders.  Its
 mission is to improve the care of patients by promoting research, education,
 and optimal health care policies and standards.  The Society was incorporated
 in 1979, and has a membership of over 3,500 physicians and associated
 professionals in over 65 countries around the world.  It has offices in
 Washington, DC and Natick, MA.
 
 

SOURCE  Heart Rhythm Society