Imaging Challenges in CHF Answered by a Multimodality Approach

Sunday, April 3, 2011, 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Heart failure is a very challenging condition for cardiologists. The progressive nature of the disease means that patients will inevitably be readmitted to the hospital. Yet, the government is increasingly suggesting that 30-day readmissions for heart failure be tied to reimbursement. One solution to the problem of chronic readmissions is to bundle payments for the continuum of care. It's imperative that cardiologists use the imaging techniques at their disposal to best optimize diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.

While echocardiography is and will remain the first line imaging test for those with heart failure, researchers are finding ways to use CT, MRI and nuclear medicine in these patients to better define risk and also to be prognostic for therapeutic options.

Speaker Information

• Mariell L. Jessup, MD, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia – What Data/Parameters Do I Need from Imaging to Optimize My Treatment of the CHF Patient?
• Allan L. Klein, MD, Cleveland Clinic – Echocardiography: A Cardiology Start to Heart Failure
• Prem Soman, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Additive Value of Nuclear Cardiology in CHF Patients
• Jie J. Cao, MD, St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, N.Y. – Additive Value of CMR in CHF Patients
• Fay Y. Lin, MD, Weill-Cornell Medical College NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City – Additive Value of Cardiac CT in CHF Patients