The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology is inviting organizations to submit their ambulatory electronic health-record products for possible certification during the next application period, running Nov. 1-14. The application period marks the launch of CCHIT certification of ambulatory EHRs internally developed by physician practices, hospitals and health systems.

The names of products receiving certification during this period are tentatively scheduled to be announced Feb. 1.

A large California-based study has shown that patients with heart failure who start taking statins, compared with those who don't, will live longer and have a lower hospitalization risk regardless of cholesterol levels, presence or absence of coronary disease, and other CV drug therapies, “Heartwire” reported this week.

Results from the Danish SORT-OUT II study, the largest randomized trial to date comparing Taxus and Cypher drug-eluting coronary stents, showed no difference in clinical events between patients in the two groups. Presented at the TCT scientific sessions in Washington, D.C., this study focused only on clinically driven MACE.

While general endotracheal anesthesia (GETA) is the most common type of anesthesia used in infrainguinal bypasses, a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery reveals that it may not be the best strategy.

Healthcare IT companies will again converge this winter to measure their ability to integrate with each other during the IHE North American Connectathon, an annual event that takes place prior to the national meeting of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The e Connectathon will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago, IL, the week of January 15-19, 2007. Completed applications were due on Sept. 15, 2006.

Agfa HealthCare has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston, WV and will provide Agfa’s IMPAX 6.0 PACS and the newest version of Agfa reporting solution, TalkStation 3.1. The multi-million dollar deal also includes six DX-S CR systems, which feature Agfa’s unique DirectriX needle-based detector technology and Scanhead line-to-line CR stimulation and light collection technology, for improved image quality and workflow.

TeraRecon Inc. and Commissure, Inc. have announced a partnership to integrate and deliver seamless workflow orchestration that leverages advanced visualization tools independent of the combination of modalities, RIS and PACS deployed in a given institution.

The FDA has granted approval to Cook Inc. for its new 36mm Zenith FLEX AAA Endovascular Graft for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), according to Cook press release. The state-of-the-art aortic endograft is designed to provide an effective, minimally invasive treatment option for patients with large abdominal aortic neck diameters who previously may not have been candidates for endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).

A subset analysis of diabetic patients in the SPIRIT II Clinical trial of the XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Stent System showed nearly identical rates of in-stent late loss at six months in diabetic patients as those observed in the overall study patient population, according to new results presented at TCT last week.

Abbott also presented new positive nine-month safety data from the SPIRIT II trial, which showed no additional occurrences of MACE (Major Adverse Cardiac Event) or stent thrombosis between six and nine months.

British researchers have concluded that counseling and education aimed at preventing coronary heart disease have no impact on mortality and little effect in terms of clinical events, reports “heartwire.” Dr Shah Ebrahim (London School of Tropical Medicine, UK) and colleagues report their findings in the Oct. 18, 2006 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

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