Cardiology has solidified its place in the world of outpatient care as CMS adds new procedures to the ASC covered procedures list and patient and physician preferences become more aligned with outpatient settings.
Les Jebson, administrator of Prisma Health’s Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute in Columbia, S.C., recently joined Becker’s to discuss the clinical and technological developments supporting cardiology’s migration to outpatient settings.
Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What technological or clinical development has been the most transformative in outpatient cardiology?
Les Jebson: I would submit that the most transformative development in outpatient cardiology has been the advancement of minimally invasive catheter-based procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention and [transcatheter aortic valve replacement]. These techniques have enabled complex procedures to be performed effectively outside of the conventional hospital setting. Patient convenience and lower cost settings are also a benefit of these procedures. The technological advancements in materials and technique coupled with advancements in imaging such as intravascular ultrasound are important components.
