A University of Michigan Medical Center study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that up to one third of people who receive defibrillators don't need them. The study suggests that patients who may receive defibrillators should first undergo a test that provides accurate information on how well the heart pumps blood. Instead of undergoing expensive defibrillator surgery, the patients who don't need it could benefit from less invasive procedures. The finding could save Medicare as much as $690 million.
For more:
- check out this article from the Detroit Free Press