ECRI Institute Addresses Key Issues in Implementing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Services

Educational web conference on Nov. 14 examines clinical evidence, costs, and infrastructure requirements for new heart procedureLong Description

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, presents "Considerations for Implementing a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Service," a live web conference on November 14, 2012, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. EDT.

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Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a percutaneous procedure intended to provide a new treatment option for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not candidates for open valve replacement surgery and previously had no other treatment options. Severe aortic stenosis is a life-threatening, progressive disease that affects approximately 360,000 individuals—predominantly age 65 or older—in the U.S.

Based on its latest health technology assessment findings, ECRI Institute expects TAVI to remain in the spotlight as hospitals and health systems adopt and implement the technology and health plans address reimbursement issues.

Currently, the only FDA-approved indication for the procedure is inoperable severe aortic stenosis. However, the FDA is considering other clinical indications for the procedure, including high-risk operable patients. If approved, this could open the door for approximately 60,000 potential candidates for TAVI a year.

While only one valve has been approved for marketing in the U.S., another competing valve already approved in Europe could reach the U.S. market before 2014. The procedure also calls for paradigm shifts in staffing models and can require significant infrastructure investments for building a suitable hybrid operating room.

In this 90-minute interactive web conference, expert staff from ECRI Institute will:

• Review ECRI Institute's research findings about TAVI
• Highlight safety and efficacy information to help inform patient selection
• Describe the paradigm shift required to create the multidisciplinary team needed for TAVI
• Address the complex infrastructure and staffing requirements
• Provide information on the costs related to the procedure
• Give insights into the short- and long-term financial considerations and implications for creating a TAVI program
• Provide guidance useful to health plan executives in determining coverage policies

Moderator:

• Vivian Coates, MBA, Vice President, Information Services and Health Technology Assessment, ECRI Institute

Presenters:

• Deborah L. Feairheller, Ph.D., Sr. Clinical Writer, Health Technology Assessment Information Service, ECRI Institute
• Robert E. Bense, BS, RRT, Clinical Manager, SELECT Healthcare Group, ECRI Institute

The interactive format of this web conference provides ample time to interact with the panel through polling and a Q&A session. The format also encourages team participation.

This program is intended for hospital administrators; health plan medical policy staff, including nurses and medical directors; value analysis and technology assessment committee members, including physicians and nurses; and cardiac clinical service personnel.

The fee to register for this educational web conference is $199; members of ECRI Institute's Health Technology Assessment Information Service program must register in advance to receive this program at no cost as part of their membership.

ECRI Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. ECRI Institute designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been approved for 1.0 California State Nursing contact hours by the provider, Debora Simmons, who is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 13677.

ECRI Institute will offer live updates from the event on Twitter at #EIConf.

To learn more, or to register for this web conference, visit the website or contact ECRI Institute by e-mail at [email protected]; by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5889; by fax at (610) 834-0240; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA.

About ECRI Institute
ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes are best to enable improved patient care. As pioneers in this science for nearly 45 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. Strict conflict-of-interest guidelines ensure objectivity. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find ECRI Institute on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ECRIInstitute) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ECRI_Institute).

SOURCE ECRI Institute