TAVR enters a new risk-scoring era

“Patients need guidance by an individualized assessment that takes into account not only the risk they face from TAVR but also the benefit – the likelihood that they will not only be alive following TAVR but that they will gain improvement in functionality and in quality of life,” said Dr. Carroll. “This is especially important for patients who have other conditions that might prevent them from fully benefiting from TAVR, such as being on dialysis, having significant lung disease, or other conditions that could limit their ability to become more functional and feel better after TAVR.”

Although Health Outcomes Services is a for-profit company, it plans to make access to the Saint Luke’s risk calculator, which they call the “TAVI [transcatheter aortic valve implantation] Risk Calculator,” free to any health professional who applies for access, with a promised turnaround for access after application of about a day, said Joy Efron, the company’s vice president for commercialization. They do not plan to provide calculator access to patients. According to Ms. Efron, Health Outcomes Services decided to make their calculator available at no charge in the hope of potentially interesting some users in an upgraded, more extensive version of the calculator bundled with related products and features that are available as a package for a monthly subscription fee.

Dr. Edwards, Dr. Dangas, Dr. Carroll, and Dr. Arnold had no relevant disclosures. Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, where Dr. Arnold works, was an early investor in Health Outcomes Services, the company that is marketing the Saint Luke’s risk calculator.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @mitchelzoler

*An earlier version of this article misstated the cost of the Saint Luke's TAVR risk calculator.