The health industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. As the business grows and we add this vertical to our areas of interest at AskDaveTaylor, we will be attending a variety of upcoming medical device and health focused conventions this year.
Most recently I attended HRS, the Health Rhythm Society, with a colleague, Ben Kinsella, who has been in the medical simulation industry for the past decade. The show is focused on the industry niche of heart medical devices in use with Electrophysiology. It featured more than 8,000 attendees, 250 educational sessions, and more than 130 exhibitors showcasing innovative products and services within the industry.
Heart Rhythm 2013 builds on years of operations and brings together the globe’s most noted experts to explore advancements and network in the cardiac arrhythmia field.
“The Society’s Annual Scientific Sessions is an opportunity for international collaboration of physicians, allied healthcare professionals, and scientists to showcase the latest education and research in cardiac rhythm care,” stated Anne M. Gillis, MD, FHRS, president of the Heart Rhythm Society. The show’s importance was highlighted by former President Clinton’s keynote speech to commence the festivities.
New research presented at Heart Rhythm continues to show promising results for Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation (FIRM) guided ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). The novel diagnostic real-time mapping system helps target ablation therapy to patient-specific drivers of AFib rather than to anatomical targets, which can improve patient outcomes. This procedure is groundbreaking because it approaches the disease in a radically different way.
Recent numbers indicate that AFib increases the risk of stroke fivefold and accounts for approximately one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbances in the U.S. Although it isn’t life threatening, AFib can lead to other problems including chronic fatigue, congestive heart failure, and stroke. More than 2 million people in the United States have AFib, a common heart rhythm disorder that causes a rapid and irregular heartbeat. The global market for Afib procedures will grow to reach US$4.1 billion by 2015. Approximately 160,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
As the population around the world ages, projections suggest more than 5.6 million adults in the next 40 years will be diagnosed with AFib.
HRS launched the “Afib Feels Like” Awareness Campaign in 2011 to combat the harmful effects of AFib and call attention to the need for more public education and greater awareness, including research, warning signs, symptoms, and treatment options available to patients around the world. The “Afib Feels Likes” campaign serves as the springboard for these discussions with our members, patients, and the general public.
Contributing editor Gary Moskoff is also Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Medamorphis. Benjamin Kinsella is the COO at Medamorphis.