The Heart Rhythm Society Proceedings Document, from the Policy Conference on Pacemaker and ICD Performance is now available. This document summarizes each speaker's presentation, panel discussions, and open question and answer periods from the September 16, 2005 conference.

The conference, held to discuss the current state of ICD and pacemaker technology, performance, and post market surveillance, was cosponsored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Task Force Convened

The Society is also pleased to announce the formation of a new task force responsible for drafting public policy recommendations based on the Policy Conference proceedings. The goal of these recommendations is to improve the pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) post-market surveillance system and related communications between device manufacturers, the federal government, clinicians and patients.

The Heart Rhythm Society is committed to ensuring appropriate and timely performance data from ICDs and pacemakers is reported to all stakeholders.

It is my pledge to continue working with the Heart Rhythm Society membership on these challenging issues. The Heart Rhythm Society membership will have an opportunity to review and comment on the Society's Task Force recommendations before they become policy. I encourage each of you to communicate your thoughts to the Task Force on these critical issues in the coming months.

Sincerely,

Anne Curtis, MD
President
Heart Rhythm Society

Task Force Members :

• Mark D. Carlson, MD, Case School of Medicine, Cleveland (Chair), Cleveland, OH; 
• Michael E. Cain, MD, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO;
• Elizabeth A. Ching, RN, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH; 
• Anne B. Curtis, MD, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 
• Wyn Davis, MD, St. Mary's Hospital, London, England; 
• Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA; 
• Stephen C. Hammill, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN; 
• Robert G. Hauser, MD, Minneapolis Heart Institute/Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN ; 
• Rachel Lampert, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; 
• William H. Maisel, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA; 
• Eric N. Prystowsky, MD, St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, IN; 
• Leslie A. Saxon, MD, USC University Hospital, Los Angeles, CA; 
• Bruce L. Wilkoff, MD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH; 
• Douglas P. Zipes, MD, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indianapolis, IN.