title: Cardiac electrophysiology: a cost-effective approach.
abstract: Clinical cardiac electrophysiology is a relatively new discipline, heavily dependent upon new technology that is often expensive. In cardiac pacing, no effective alternative to permanent pacing usually exists for patients with Class I indications, so cost-reduction strategies involve appropriate selection and utilization of hardware and facilities. Cost-effective utilization of radiofrequency ablation and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators requires that these techniques be compared with alternative therapies, usually antiarrhythmic drugs. Both ablation and defibrillator implantation can be shown to be cost effective in selected populations, but a cost-conscious approach to procedures and patient selection can make them cost effective in a broad range of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: DiMarco
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000191:economics*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy