Economic Aspects of Transesophageal Echocardiography and Atrial Fibrillation

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of complications and death in the United States, affecting nearly 60 million Americans in 1998 and costing an estimated $274.2 billion. A major contributor to the costs of cardiovascular disease is atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common sustained arrhythmia and affects > 2.2 million people and approximately 5% of all persons over the age of 60. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with short-term anticoagulation has been proposed as a viable strategy to guide patients with AF. Here, we (1) review the current environmental context for a TEE-guided approach, (2) summarize the existing literature on the economic aspects of TEE, and (3) outline an economic framework for an economic analysis of TEE investigation or any major clinical therapy. We conclude that more powerful analytical tools are evolving to analyze the important economic, clinical, and social aspects of a patient's medical encounter.