In the past, patients with heart failure often required the implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD) as a bridge to transplant. With advances in technology, however, VADs had become recognized as an alternative therapy by themselves.
Improved devices, such as Thoratec's Heartmate II, must pass clinical trials to get FDA approval, so the company enlisted FischerHealth to help gather trial participants.
Strategy
"Convincing patients to participate in a clinical trial involving surgery remains a challenge, regardless of how life-saving the device may ...