Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

As I have discussed in the past, since physicians do not always understand when to refer vascular disease to the specialist, patients or the general public, particularly the older population, present an especially unique challenge to understand vascular disease and stroke. As many of you have experienced, patient arrive too late in the Emergency Department to qualify for emergent stroke care. As you put together the patient brochure, think about these questions:

Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

Heart disease is generally well understood relative to the pathology, causes, and treatment. Recently,  I was in a meeting with a hospital administrative team and the question was posed to the group:  “What is vascular disease?” Approximately 50% of the hospital team knew what I was talking about. A few pictures of stent grafts, and before and after treatment pictures  sparked everyone’s interest. This scenario has been repeated over and over. Once the terminology and the general disease process are understand, the vascular market opportunities and the potential impact upon the hospital, community, and individuals becomes very apparent.

Approximately 75% of the 81 million persons with cardiovascular disease (www.americanheart.org) have vascular disease of some type (e.g., hypertension;  stroke;  carotid, aortic, or peripheral arterial disease). Typically, every human being has the following vessels: two carotid arteries, one aorta, and two legs and arms that contain many vessels, any of which can be affected by vascular disease. Compare this  to the three vessels of the heart. This logic brings one to the conclusion that vascular volumes  should exceed cardiac volumes as treatments continues to evolve. If you want to grow your heart program, consider the opportunities that the the vascular market presents.