How Medical Services Get Valued.

The mechanisms for Medicare payment to physicians are complicated and, in fee for service Medicare, the value of a procedure code explicitly determines the payment to the physician and the out-of-pocket cost to the beneficiary. These codes are created and then valued for payment through a complex but reproducible and transparent process that allows for physician and specialty society input. This article describes the process and its implications for interventional radiology.

Defining the Value of Interventional Radiology to Healthcare Stakeholders: Proceedings from a Society of Interventional Radiology Research Consensus Panel.

Interventional radiology (IR) has collectively struggled to articulate and prove its value to several external stakeholders. The goal of this research consensus panel was to provide a summary of the existing knowledge, identify current gaps in knowledge, identify the strengths and weaknesses in existing data, and prioritize research needs related to the value of IR. Panelists were asked to identify the critical relationships/alliances that should be fostered to advance the prioritized research and determine how the Society of Interventional Radiology and the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation can further support these initiatives. Following presentations and discussions, it was determined that proving and quantifying how IR decreases the length of stay and prevents hospital admissions are the most salient, value-related research topics to pursue for the specialty.

Clinical evaluation of the Zilver vascular stent for symptomatic iliac artery disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Zilver vascular stent in the treatment of de novo or restenotic lesions in the external and common iliac arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Regardless of the results of an initial percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), 151 consecutive patients were implanted with Zilver vascular stents (Cook, Bloomington, Ind) in up to two stenotic (< or =10 cm) or occluded (< or =5 cm) atherosclerotic lesions of the external or common iliac arteries. The primary endpoint was the rate of major adverse events within 9 months after the procedure. Major adverse events were defined as death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, and limb loss. Secondary endpoints included acute procedural success, 30-day clinical success, 9-month patency rate, 9-month functional status (on the basis of the validated Walking Impairment Questionnaire), and ankle-brachial index (ABI). RESULTS: of 1-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up are reported. Results The 9-month device and/or procedural-related major adverse event rate (adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee) was 2.7%. The all-cause major adverse event rate was 7.5%. Both rates were substantially below the prespecified objective performance criterion of 16%. The acute procedure success rate and 30-day clinical success rate were 98.0% and 94.0%, respectively. The 9-month patency rate, measured with duplex ultrasonography, was 92.9%. Significant improvement in the ABI and walking distance and walking speed scores, relative to preprocedural values, was seen at 1 month and was maintained through 9-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The Zilver vascular stent is safe and effective as an adjunct to PTA in the treatment of symptomatic disease of the iliac arteries.