Hospitals are starting to implement vendor management programs to restrict sales reps' access in their facilities. This new process is primarily designed to address liability concerns, but it's also a tactic to control "rogue" purchasing by hospital staff who may not actually have the authority to buy products.

America's aging population presents problems and opportunities in the health care industry; The oldest of the Baby Boomer generation-the 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964-turn 61 this year, but this is only the beginning of the "elder boom" that will occur as this generation ages. These patients will need specialty care from a health system that already has had serious difficulties running efficiently without a large influx of seniors needing extra attention. Certainly quality initiatives and patient-safety programs underway could help lay a better foundation for the needs of the Baby Boomer generation. Part of the solution will have to come from technology, and innovations in remote and self monitoring are already underway.

Brief summaries of recent clinical developments in the device industry, including new views on CPR, new imaging techniques, the efficacy of CT screening for lung cancer, stroke risks from obstructive sleep apnea, and genetic variations' effect on the long-term suscess of total hip arthroplasty.

Today, carotid artery stenting is an accepted less-invasive alternative to surgical endarterectomy for carefully selected patients, particularly those at significant surgical risk, and market projections are very positive. But, the field still has a long way to go before this procedure is considered routine.