| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
DOI: 10.1177/1089253206291148 © 2006 SAGE Publications and the British Sociological Association REMATCH and Beyond: The Cost of Treating Heart Failure Using an Implantable Left Ventricular Assist Device8008 Front St, Suite 104, San Diego, CA 92123; dembitsky{at}aol.com Congestive heart failure is an increasingly widespread debilitating fatal condition that generates a high cost to patients, society, and health care systems. Nearly 6.5 million people in Europe and 5 million people in the United States have congestive heart failure. Unlike most cardiovascular diseases in industrialized countries, congestive heart failure is becoming more common. Therapies include medical approaches, implantable assist devices, and cardiac transplantation. Mechanical assistance devices rather than medical therapy offer improvement in quality of life and survival.
Key Words: cost for congestive heart failure cost for left ventricular assist devices REMATCH
|