In Pushing Trials of Heart Device, Economists Would Argue Money Plays a Role

The NYT had an interesting piece on a dispute over continuing a clinical trial of a heart device that has been tied to a number of incidents of blood clots. While the device had originally been used in patients who likely risked death without it, the trial is designed to examine its effectiveness in patients with less severe heart disease. The incidents of blood clots raise the possibility that the risk exceeds the potential benefit.

At one point the article noted that the doctors working wit...