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Cost-Effective Care in the Management of Conduction Disease and Arrhythmias

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Cardiovascular Health Care Economics

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

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Abstract

In the treatment of arrhythmias and disease of the conduction system, physicians have an ever-growing menu of tests, drugs, and devices from which to choose. How best to use this diagnostic and therapeutic armamentarium in patient care has become an area of active study, and clinical trials to establish efficacy are now quite common. As should be the case, the major focus of these studies has been on clinical outcomes. However, as in other areas of medicine that have seen rapid growth in available technology and expanding indications for its use, there has been a growing concern about the impact of practice choices on the costs of care and whether, from a societal view, the costs are acceptable. Consequently, there has been literature emerging on the cost-effectiveness (CE) of device use and treatment strategies in the management of patients with conduction disease and arrhythmias. In this chapter, we review the current literature on the cost-effective use of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), as well as what is known about cost-effective treatment strategies for the management of supraventricular arrhythmias, including radiofrequency ablation and the whole range of options for managing the most common of arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation.

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Authors
  1. David J. Malenka MD
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  2. Edward Catherwood MD, MS
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    William S. Weintraub MD

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© 2003 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Malenka, D.J., Catherwood, E. (2003). Cost-Effective Care in the Management of Conduction Disease and Arrhythmias. In: Weintraub, W.S. (eds) Cardiovascular Health Care Economics. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-398-9_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-398-9_18

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-9784-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-398-9

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