| Summary: | The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requested that AHRQ commission an evidence report to assist in updating the CMS policy regarding cardiac catheterization in freestanding clinics. Accordingly, on February 9th 2005, AHRQ issued a Statement of Work (SOW) contracting ECRI to prepare an evidence report on this topic. In commissioning this report, AHRQ, in consultation with CMS and ECRI, developed five Key Questions to be addressed. These questions are as follows: 1. Do freestanding cardiac catheterization clinics and hospitals have comparable complication rates for diagnostic catheterization procedures? 2. Do freestanding cardiac catheterization clinics and hospitals have comparable complication rates for interventional catheterization procedures? 3. Do hospitals without cardiac surgical support and hospitals with cardiac surgical support have comparable complication rates for diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures? This question will only be addressed if the literature is insufficient for questions 1 and/or 2 for freestanding clinics. 4. What are the characteristics of patients who have had catheterization procedures in freestanding cardiac catheterization clinics vs. hospitals? 5. What are the current state regulations, Certificate of Need (CON) requirements, and oversight procedures for freestanding cardiac catheterization clinics? Include a table summarizing regulations from all 50 states. Include also a review of international regulations and guidelines; at a minimum include information from the U.K. and Canada
|
|---|