Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Sometimes, when assessing the value of a new medical technology, it's easy to get caught up in arcane statistics and lose sight of the ultimate goal: saving lives.
That's especially true with coronary CT angiography (CTA), an exciting new technology that's been generating controversy of late. At issue is whether coronary CTA's ability to detect potentially fatal heart disease before symptoms arise is worth the cost of integrating the technology into the healthcare system.
This week in our Cardiac Imaging Digital Community, we bring you a story that illustrates the lifesaving value of coronary CTA. Jim Pittman, an administrator at a Midwestern U.S. hospital, describes how his life was suddenly changed when he volunteered for a CTA exam originally intended to train technologists on a new 64-slice CT scanner.
Mr. Pittman's story alone isn't statistically significant, and by itself probably won't convince Medicare or any third-party payors to suddenly open the purse strings for coronary CTA reimbursement. But it is yet another example in a growing body of anecdotal evidence in support of the value of coronary CTA.
Learn about Mr. Pittman's story by clicking here, or visit our Cardiac Imaging Digital Community, at cardiac.auntminnie.com.
