Heart-shocking Treatment: Cost effective?
Stanford MedicineThousands of people at risk of sudden cardiac death walk around wearing an implanted device that will shock the heart back into the right rhythm if it starts malfunctioning. The device, called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), is popular and growing more so. The ICD is also under scrutiny because of its considerable expense, said Dr. Douglas Owens, a senior research associate in health services research and development at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.