Think Tank Medical Releases App for Cardiologists to Determine Patient Eligibility for Implantable Devices

February 19, 2013 — In response to the astounding percentage of inappropriate and non-compliant ICD, CRT-P and CRT-D device implantations each year, Think Tank Medical has developed and released its CMS ICD Application, available for the iPhone and iPad to ensure that 100 percent of patients screened meet the evidence-based criteria for implantation.

The ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) guidelines published by CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and utilized by cardiologists, electrophysiologist, and doctors nationwide to determine a patient’s eligibility for these cardiac devices are difficult to follow, even for the most experienced physician. Therefore, it is no surprise that the National Cardiovascular Registry has determined that 22.5 percent of all ICD implantations in the United States do not comply with Medicare guidelines. Furthermore, approximately 50 percent of patients who would otherwise be qualified for an ICD do not get such a device implanted.

In an effort to improve diagnosis of cardiac patients, the CMS ICD Application serves as a tool to guide a doctor through a series of “Yes” or “No” questions on patient medical history to evaluate a patient’s eligibility or ineligibility for an ICD, CRT-D and CRT-P in a matter of minutes. With the option to place automatic reminders in the iPhone or iPad calendar, re-evaluate patients who fall into mandatory waiting periods, to send emails to the doctor and office manager to schedule follow-up appointments or send test results to the doctor and compliance officer, the process is fully automated, standardized and error-free.

Andrew Paul, founder of Think Tank Medical states, “Our primary goal with the release of this free, medical application is to get it in the hands of as many doctors as possible. Our immediate objective is to help save lives, prevent non-compliant procedures and ensure patients who need an ICD, CRT-D or CRT-P get one. We hope to aid in the transformation and progressions of today’s seemingly complex healthcare industry and revolutionize the way eligibility determinations are made, in an error free manner and change the way the industry operates on a daily basis.”

He continues: “Sudden cardiac arrest kills 250,000 people each year in the United States. The chance of surviving an SCA event is about 5 percent. We want to change that.”

The complete list of features and benefits of the CMS ICD Application can be found at www.cmsicd.com.

The CMS ICD App can be downloaded directly from iTunes by searching "CMS ICD" in iTunes.

For more information: www.thinktankmedical.com