Remote monitoring of patients with biventricular defibrillators through the CareLink system improves clinical management of arrhythmias and heart failure episodes

A review of cardiac troponin I detection by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy: Under the spotlight of point-of-care testing

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a biomarker widely related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), one of the leading causes of death around the world. Point-of-care testing (POCT) of cTnI not only demands a short turnaround time for its detection but the highest accuracy levels to set expeditious and adequate clinical decisions. The analytical technique Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) possesses several properties that tailor to the POCT format, such as its flexibility to couple with rapid assay platforms like microfluidics and paper-based immunoassays. Here, we analyze the strategies used for the detection of cTnI by SERS considering POCT requirements. From the detection ranges reported in the reviewed literature, we suggest the diseases other than AMI that could be diagnosed with this technique. For this, a section with information about cardiac and non-cardiac diseases with cTnI release, including their release kinetics or cut-off values are presented. Likewise, POCT features, the use of SERS as a POCT technique, and the biochemistry of cTnI are discussed. The information provided in this review allowed the identification of strengths and lacks of the available SERS-based point-of-care tests for cTnI and the disclosing of requirements for future assays design.

Severity of spleep apnea syndrome and life-threatening tachyarrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator

BACKGROUND

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) has been reported to be associated with a higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate whether in SAS patients receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) the severity of SAS was associated with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias; (2) to assess whether changes in nocturnal apnoic/hypopnoic episodes may favor the occurrence of life-threatening arrhythmias, that is, sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT)/fibrillation (VF), requiring ICD intervention.

METHODS

We enrolled 46 patients with documented SAS at polysomnography (apnea/hypopnea index [AHI] > 5) who also had a left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) < 35% and, according to primary prevention indications, implanted an ICD (Boston Scientific Incepta) able to daily monitor apnoic/hypopnoic episodes occurring during sleep. Patients were followed at 3-month intervals.

RESULTS

At a mean follow-up of 18 months, 21 episodes of sustained VT/FV requiring ICD intervention were documented in eight patients (17.4%). Baseline AHI was significantly higher in patients with compared to those without ICD intervention. ICD interventions, however, were not preceded by any worsening of apnoic/hypopnoic episodes. The respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of the week during the event, indeed, was not different from that recorded during the previous 2 weeks (25.4 ± 11, 25.6 ± 10 and 25.1 ± 10, respectively; p = .9).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with SAS who received an ICD for primary prevention of sudden death, those with ICD interventions showed a more severe form of the disease at baseline. ICD interventions, however, were not preceded by any significant changes in SAS severity.

Clinical outcomes of digital sensor alerting systems in remote monitoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Advances in digital technologies have allowed remote monitoring and digital alerting systems to gain popularity. Despite this, limited evidence exists to substantiate claims that digital alerting can improve clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to appraise the evidence on the clinical outcomes of digital alerting systems in remote monitoring through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature search, with no language restrictions, was performed to identify studies evaluating healthcare outcomes of digital sensor alerting systems used in remote monitoring across all (medical and surgical) cohorts. The primary outcome was hospitalisation; secondary outcomes included hospital length of stay (LOS), mortality, emergency department and outpatient visits. Standard, pooled hazard ratio and proportion of means meta-analyses were performed. A total of 33 studies met the eligibility criteria; of which, 23 allowed for a meta-analysis. A 9.6% mean decrease in hospitalisation favouring digital alerting systems from a pooled random effects analysis was noted. However, pooled weighted mean differences and hazard ratios did not reproduce this finding. Digital alerting reduced hospital LOS by a mean difference of 1.043 days. A 3% mean decrease in all-cause mortality from digital alerting systems was noted. There was no benefit of digital alerting with respect to emergency department or outpatient visits. Digital alerts can considerably reduce hospitalisation and length of stay for certain cohorts in remote monitoring. Further research is required to confirm these findings and trial different alerting protocols to understand optimal alerting to guide future widespread implementation.

Remote monitoring of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices: a Southeast Asian, single-centre pilot study

INTRODUCTION

Remote monitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) has been shown to improve patient safety and reduce in-office visits. We report our experience with remote monitoring via the Medtronic CareLink(®) network.

METHODS

Patients were followed up for six months with scheduled monthly remote monitoring transmissions in addition to routine in-office checks. The efficacy of remote monitoring was evaluated by recording compliance to transmissions, number of device alerts requiring intervention and time from transmission to review. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate the experiences of patients, physicians and medical technicians.

RESULTS

A total of 57 patients were enrolled; 16 (28.1%) had permanent pacemakers, 34 (59.6%) had implantable cardioverter defibrillators and 7 (12.3%) had cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillators. Overall, of 334 remote transmissions scheduled, 73.7% were on time, 14.5% were overdue and 11.8% were missed. 84.6% of wireless transmissions were on time, compared to 53.8% of non-wireless transmissions. Among all transmissions, 4.4% contained alerts for which physicians were informed and only 1.8% required intervention. 98.6% of remote transmissions were reviewed by the second working day. 73.2% of patients preferred remote monitoring. Physicians agreed that remote transmissions provided information equivalent to in-office checks 97.1% of the time. 77.8% of medical technicians felt that remote monitoring would help the hospital improve patient management. No adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSION

Remote monitoring of CIED is safe and feasible. It has possible benefits to patient safety through earlier detection of arrhythmias or device malfunction, permitting earlier intervention. Wireless remote monitoring, in particular, may improve compliance to device monitoring. Patients may prefer remote monitoring due to possible improvements in quality of life.

Results of remote follow-up and monitoring in young patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices

BACKGROUND

Remote monitoring is increasingly used in the follow-up of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices. Data on paediatric populations are still lacking. The aim of our study was to follow-up young patients both in-hospital and remotely to enhance device surveillance.

METHODS

This is an observational registry collecting data on consecutive patients followed-up with the CareLink system. Inclusion criteria were a Medtronic device implanted and patient's willingness to receive CareLink. Patients were stratified according to age and presence of congenital/structural heart defects (CHD).

RESULTS

A total of 221 patients with a device - 200 pacemakers, 19 implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and two loop recorders--were enrolled (median age of 17 years, range 1-40); 58% of patients were younger than 18 years of age and 73% had CHD. During a follow-up of 12 months (range 4-18), 1361 transmissions (8.9% unscheduled) were reviewed by technicians. Time for review was 6 ± 2 minutes (mean ± standard deviation). Missed transmissions were 10.1%. Events were documented in 45% of transmissions, with 2.7% yellow alerts and 0.6% red alerts sent by wireless devices. No significant differences were found in transmission results according to age or presence of CHD. Physicians reviewed 6.3% of transmissions, 29 patients were contacted by phone, and 12 patients underwent unscheduled in-hospital visits. The event recognition with remote monitoring occurred 76 days (range 16-150) earlier than the next scheduled in-office follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Remote follow-up/monitoring with the CareLink system is useful to enhance device surveillance in young patients. The majority of events were not clinically relevant, and the remaining led to timely management of problems.

Technician-Supported Remote Interrogation of CIEDs: Initial Use in US Emergency Departments and Perioperative Areas

BACKGROUND

Interrogation/interpretation of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is frequently required in the emergency department (ED) or perioperative areas (OR) where resources to do this are often not available. CareLink Express (CLE; Medtronic, plc, Mounds View, MN, USA) is a technician-supported real-time remote interrogation system for Medtronic CIEDs. Using data from 136 US locations, this retrospective study was designed to assess CLE efficiency compared to traditional device management, and examine its findings.

METHODS

All 7,044 US CLE transmissions from the ED and OR (January 2012-October 2014) were compared to 217 traditional requests where CIED interrogations/interpretations were performed by calling industry representatives to these sites.

RESULTS

CLE reduced the time to device interrogation/interpretation by 78%: 100 ± 140-22 ± 14 minutes, P < 0.0001, improving response time and consistency; ED: 82 ± 103-23 ± 18 minutes, P, ≤ 0.01; OR: 127 ± 181-17 ± 10 minutes, P < 0.0001. Actionable events (AE) (arrhythmia, device/lead abnormalities) were infrequent: 9.1% overall (ED: 9.9%; OR: 4.1%). Only 6.5% of patients with syncope/presyncope and 13.6% with a perceived shock had AE. AEs were more common in those with suspected device problems (30.4%) or audible alerts (52.6%). They were more likely in patients not enrolled in long-term remote monitoring (23.9% vs 8.2%, P < 0.0001) and in those with older CIED systems (7.4% in year 1 vs 31.0% after 10 years).

CONCLUSIONS

The many patients with CIEDs, and the ability to quickly identify the minority with high-risk AE from the no/low-risk majority, strongly support CLE use in the ED and OR, sites which are expensive and prioritize efficiency.

Effectiveness of pacemaker tele-monitoring on quality of life, functional capacity, event detection and workload: The PONIENTE trial

AIMS

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of the remote monitoring (RM) of older adults with pacemakers on health-related quality of life, functional capacity, feasibility, reliability and safety.

METHODS

The PONIENTE study is a controlled, non-randomized, non-blinded clinical trial, with data collection carried out during the pre-implant stage and after 12 months. Between October of 2012 and November of 2013, 82 patients were assigned to either a remote monitoring group (n = 30) or a conventional hospital monitoring (HM) group (n = 52). The EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the Duke Activity Status Index were used to measure health-related quality of life and functional capacity, respectively. Baseline characteristics and number of hospital visits were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The baseline characteristics of the two study groups were similar for both the EQ-5D (RM 0.74, HM 0.67; P = 0.404) and the Duke Activity Status Index (RM 21.42, HM 19.95; P = 0.272). At the 12-month follow up, the EQ-5D utility score was improved for both groups (RM 0.91, HM 0.81; P = 0.154), unlike the EQ-5D Visual Analog Scale (P = 0.043). The Duke Activity Status Index score was similar to the baseline score. The number of in-hospital visits was 27% lower (3 vs 4; P < 0.001) in the remote group as compared with the hospital group.

CONCLUSIONS

The PONIENTE trial suggests that the remote monitoring of pacemakers in older adults is an equivalent option to hospital monitoring, in terms of health-related quality of life and functional capacity. Furthermore, it allows for the early detection of clinical and pacemaker-related adverse events, and significantly reduces the number of in-hospital visits. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1188-1195.

Workload, time and costs of the informal cares in patients with tele-monitoring of pacemakers: the PONIENTE study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to assess the burden borne by and the costs to informal caregivers of patients with remotely monitored (RM) pacemakers.

METHODS

The PONIENTE study was a controlled, non-randomised clinical trial, with data collected from informal caregivers, 12 months after implantation of pacemakers. The survey on disabilities, personal autonomy, and dependency situations was used to gather information on demographic and social characteristics, levels of professionalism, time and types of care, difficulties in providing care, health status, professional aspects, economic and family or leisure impacts due to informal caregiving for patients with pacemakers.

RESULTS

During 14 months, 76 caregivers were enrolled in the PONIENTE trial. Of which, 26 were included in the RM group and 50 in the hospital-monitored group (HM). The mean ages were 58.62 ± 16.51 and 61.10 ± 12.67 years, respectively (p = 0.56) in the groups, and 69.7 % were females. The majority (96.1 %) of the caregivers declared that they had to provide their services between 6 and 7 days per week (88.5 % in RM group versus 100 % in HM group; p = 0.037). The costs related to care provided by the informal caregivers were 21.38 % lower in the RM group than in the HM group (p = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

The PONIENTE study shows a significant impact of informal care on relatives and friends of patients with pacemakers in terms of their well-being and costs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02234245.

Pacemaker remote monitoring in the pediatric population: is it a real solution?

BACKGROUND

Clinical utility of remote monitoring of implantable cardiac devices has been previously demonstrated in several trials in the adult population. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of remote monitoring in a pediatric population undergoing pacemakers implantation.

METHODS

The study population included 73 consecutive pediatric patients who received an implantable pacemaker. The remote device check was programmed for every 3 months and all patients had a yearly out-patient visit. Data on device-related events, hospitalization, and other clinical information were collected during remote checks and out-patient visits.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 18 ± 10 months, 470 remote transmissions were collected and analyzed. Two deaths were reported. Eight transmissions (1.7%) triggered an urgent out-patient visit. Twenty percent of transmissions reported evidence of significant clinical or technical events. All young patients and their families were very satisfied when using remote monitoring to replace out-patient visits.

CONCLUSIONS

The ease in use, together with satisfaction and acceptance of remote monitoring in pediatric patients, brought very good results. The remote management of our pediatric population was safe and remote monitoring adequately replaced the periodic out-patient device checks without compromising patient safety.

Device diagnostics and early identification of acute decompensated heart failure: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Traditional methods of heart failure (HF) management are based on reactive strategies to treat late indicators of decompensated HF. Advances in monitoring methods have become available with the evolution of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac-resynchronization therapy devices. These devices provide new diagnostic data and remote monitoring capabilities that allow clinicians to proactively monitor patients for earlier signs of worsening HF. The integration of data obtained from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and cardiac-resynchronization therapy technology could improve outpatient HF care, potentially leading to decreased readmission rates and improved patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This review will synthesize the literature regarding the efficacy of device diagnostic data and the usability of the data in the clinical setting.

METHODS

Articles for review were obtained using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov.

RESULTS

Device diagnostics showed strong correlation with established HF biomarkers and hemodynamic measures. The findings from this review indicate that device diagnostic parameters predict impending HF much earlier than traditional methods of monitoring do. Device diagnostics are also more accurate in the early prediction of HF when compared with noninvasive objective measures, particularly when multiple parameters are combined and monitored for trends. Device diagnostics possess a distinct advantage over traditional methods of monitoring for HF because they allow clinicians to remotely monitor the status of their HF patients without relying on patient compliance for data entry and reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies regarding the efficacy of device diagnostic parameters suggest that their integration into clinical practice will provide a more accurate and reliable mechanism for assisting clinicians in risk stratifying and predicting potential episodes of decompensated HF.

Remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Problems and implications using a telemonitoring system

The rising number of implantable devices has led to an increase in device-related workload, e.g., regular interrogation follow-up visits. Telemonitoring systems for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) seem to be a promising tool for reducing workload and costs, and they have the potential of optimizing patient care. However, issues such as practical functionality of ICD telemonitoring in daily routine may affect its broad implementation. The objective of this study was to evaluate potential problems during the implementation of a telemonitoring system, Medtronic CareLink™ (CL™) with respect to the installation and data transmission process. A total of 159 patients with ICDs who were equipped with the CL™ system were evaluated and followed up for 16 months regarding the success rate of the first data transmission via the telemonitoring system. In this cohort, a high rate of nontransmission of 23.9 % was observed after the 16-month follow-up. A detailed interview of these patients (no transmission) revealed that the main reasons for failed transmissions were due to the patients' loss of interest in the concept (approximately 50 %) as well as technical problems (approximately 25 %) with setting up the system. These results indicate that telemonitoring systems bear potential problems and that the evaluation of patient motivation and technical support options seems to play an important role in establishing the functionality of these systems.

Compliance with remote monitoring of ICDS/CRTDS in a real-world population

BACKGROUND

Remote monitoring (RM) of defibrillators (implantable cardioverter defibrillators [ICDs]) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRTDs) has been shown to be cost effective, convenient, and associated with reduced mortality and a reduction in the time to physician intervention for actionable events. However, patient compliance with monitoring over time and what factors might influence such compliance have not been well described. This study sought to identify factors contributing to patient noncompliance with RM of ICDs and CRTDs in a large real-world population.

METHODS

Deidentified data on U.S. patients enrolled in the Medtronic CareLink RM system were used to compare patients with no (noncompliant, n = 14,848) and with ≥ 2 RM transmissions (compliant, n = 103,284) during a 14-month period.

RESULTS

Overall noncompliance with RM was 21%. Younger age (≤ 40), female sex, wanded device, Medicare Census Division, and small clinic size all predicted patient noncompliance (P < 0.01). Device type (ICD vs CRTD) did not (P = 0.52). Multivariate analysis suggested clinically important predictors of noncompliance to be: age ≤ 40, odds ratio (OR) 2.64 (95% confidence interval, 2.42-2.88); Medicare Census Division (Mountain vs West North Central), OR 2.15 (1.96-2.37); and small clinic size (1-4 vs >100 patients), OR 4.38 (3.92-4.91).

CONCLUSIONS

There is room for improvement in RM usage among enrolled patients. Younger patients, smaller clinics, and certain geographic areas may be targets for research into interventions to further improve the use of RM.

Work burden with remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter defibrillator: is it time for reimbursement policies?

AIMS

The efficacy and accuracy, as well as patients' satisfaction, of device remote monitoring are well demonstrated. However, the workload of remote monitoring management has not been estimated and reimbursement schemes are currently unavailable in most European countries. This study evaluates the workload associated with remote monitoring systems.

METHODS

A total of 154 consecutive implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients (age 66±12 years; 86.5% men) with a remote monitoring system were enrolled. Data on the clinician's workload required for the management of the patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 1744 transmissions were received during a mean follow-up of 15.3±12.4 months. Median number of transmissions per patient was 11.3. There were 993 event-free transmissions, whereas 638 transmissions regarded one or more events (113 missed transmissions, 141 atrial events, 132 ventricular episodes, 299 heart failure-related transmissions, 14 transmissions regarding lead malfunction and 164 transmissions related to other events). In 402 cases telephonic contact was necessary, whereas in 68 cases an in-clinic visit was necessary and in 23 of them an in-clinic visit was prompted by the manufacturer due to technical issues of the transmitter. During follow-up, 316 work hours were required to manage the enrolled patients. Each month, a total of 14.9 h were spent on the remote monitoring of 154 patients (9.7 h for 100 patients monthly) with approximately 1.1±0.15 h per year for each patient.

CONCLUSION

The clinician's work burden is high in patients with remote monitoring. In order to expand remote monitoring in all patients, reimbursement policies should be considered.

Update: Innovation in cardiology (II). Telecardiology: past, present and future

Technological advances over the past decades have allowed improved diagnosis and monitoring of patients with acute coronary syndromes as well as patients with advanced heart failure. High-quality digital recordings transmitted wirelessly by cellular telephone networks have augmented the prehospital use of transportable electrocardiogram machines as well as implantable devices for arrhythmia monitoring and therapy. The impact of prehospital electrocardiogram recording and interpretation in patients suspected of acute myocardial infarction should not be underestimated. It enables a more widespread access to rapid reperfusion therapy, thereby reducing treatment delay, morbidity and mortality. Further, continuous electrocardiogram monitoring has improved arrhythmia diagnosis and dynamic ST-segment changes have been shown to provide important prognostic information in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Likewise, remote recording or monitoring of arrhythmias and vital signs seem to improve outcome and reduce the necessity of re-admissions or outpatient contacts in patients with heart failure or arrhythmias. In the future telemonitoring and diagnosis is expected to further impact the way we practice cardiology and provide better care for the patient with cardiovascular disease.

Telemedicine and cardiac implants: what is the benefit?

Cardiac implantable electronic devices are increasing in prevalence. The post-implant follow-up is important for monitoring both device function and patient condition. However, practice is inconsistent. For example, ICD follow-up schedules vary from 3 monthly to yearly according to facility and physician preference and availability of resources. Recommended follow-up schedules impose significant burden. Importantly, no surveillance occurs between follow-up visits. In contrast, implantable devices with automatic remote monitoring capability provide a means for performing constant surveillance, with the ability to identify salient problems rapidly. Remote home monitoring reduces the volume of device clinic visits and provides early detection of patient and/or system problems.

Randomized Clinical evaluatiON of wireless fluid monitoriNg and rEmote ICD managemenT using OptiVol alert-based predefined management to reduce cardiac decompensation and health care utilization: the CONNECT-OptiVol study

AIMS

The CONNECT-OptiVol study is designed to investigate whether wireless fluid monitoring using OptiVol alerts as well as implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) remote monitoring (RM) reduces cardiac decompensations and health care utilization in ICD patients, as compared to standard clinical care.

METHODS

Patients undergoing implantation of wireless telemetry-enabled dual chamber (ICD-DR) or cardiac resynchronization therapy/defibrillator (CRT-D) devices with the OptiVol feature are eligible for the study. In a randomized fashion, OptiVol function, its audible alert as well as its remote alert, and other ICD RM alerts are switched ON or OFF. The primary study objective is to estimate an improvement of heart failure status. The primary endpoint is measured as a prolongation of the time to first hospitalization due to worsened heart failure. The secondary objectives are to estimate: a reduction of the time from event to clinical decision, a reduction of the rate of health care utilization, and improved quality of life (QoL) measures (secondary endpoints). The study is designed as a single center pilot study with 180 patients randomized 1:1 to the two study arms.

CONCLUSION

The CONNECT-OptiVol study aims to answer whether wireless fluid monitoring integrated into RM may reduce cardiac decompensations and health care utilization in ICD patients. The results can be used to adequately power future studies evaluating the benefit of these features. Study enrollment has been completed, and follow-up is expected to be finished in September 2012.

Remote monitoring and follow-up of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices in the Netherlands : An expert consensus report of the Netherlands Society of Cardiology

Remote monitoring of cardiac implanted electronic devices (CIED: pacemaker, cardiac resynchronisation therapy device and implantable cardioverter defibrillator) has been developed for technical control and follow-up using transtelephonic data transmission. In addition, automatic or patient-triggered alerts are sent to the cardiologist or allied professional who can respond if necessary with various interventions. The advantage of remote monitoring appears obvious in impending CIED failures and suspected symptoms but is less likely in routine follow-up of CIED. For this follow-up the indications, quality of care, cost-effectiveneness and patient satisfaction have to be determined before remote CIED monitoring can be applied in daily practice. Nevertheless remote CIED monitoring is expanding rapidly in the Netherlands without professional agreements about methodology, responsibilities of all the parties involved and that of the device patient, and reimbursement. The purpose of this consensus document on remote CIED monitoring and follow-up is to lay the base for a nationwide, uniform implementation in the Netherlands. This report describes the technical communication, current indications, benefits and limitations of remote CIED monitoring and follow-up, the role of the patient and device manufacturer, and costs and reimbursement. The view of cardiology experts and of other disciplines in conjunction with literature was incorporated in a preliminary series of recommendations. In addition, an overview of the questions related to remote CIED monitoring that need to be answered is given. This consensus document can be used for future guidelines for the Dutch profession.

Remote monitoring reduces healthcare use and improves quality of care in heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators: the evolution of management strategies of heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators (EVOLVO) study

BACKGROUND

Heart failure patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) or an ICD for resynchronization therapy often visit the hospital for unscheduled examinations, placing a great burden on healthcare providers. We hypothesized that Internet-based remote interrogation systems could reduce emergency healthcare visits.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This multicenter randomized trial involving 200 patients compared remote monitoring with standard patient management consisting of scheduled visits and patient response to audible ICD alerts. The primary end point was the rate of emergency department or urgent in-office visits for heart failure, arrhythmias, or ICD-related events. Over 16 months, such visits were 35% less frequent in the remote arm (75 versus 117; incidence density, 0.59 versus 0.93 events per year; P=0.005). A 21% difference was observed in the rates of total healthcare visits for heart failure, arrhythmias, or ICD-related events (4.40 versus 5.74 events per year; P<0.001). The time from an ICD alert condition to review of the data was reduced from 24.8 days in the standard arm to 1.4 days in the remote arm (P<0.001). The patients' clinical status, as measured by the Clinical Composite Score, was similar in the 2 groups, whereas a more favorable change in quality of life (Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire) was observed from the baseline to the 16th month in the remote arm (P=0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Remote monitoring reduces emergency department/urgent in-office visits and, in general, total healthcare use in patients with ICD or defibrillators for resynchronization therapy. Compared with standard follow-up through in-office visits and audible ICD alerts, remote monitoring results in increased efficiency for healthcare providers and improved quality of care for patients.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00873899.

Remote monitoring of implanted cardiac devices: a plea for a nationwide exploration

Remote monitoring of implanted cardiac devices is an evolving method for regular checks of their electronic integrity and functioning. The communication with the devices is carried out unsupervised with wireless trans-telephonic or cable-dependent linkage. The interrogation of the device examines several programmed functions and harvests the stored data of numerous events. The collected data constitute the base to decide whether the implanted device is operating properly and can give some information about the physical condition of the device recipient. Preliminary short-term results show favourable effects in terms of safety and cost and time saving as compared with the current face-to-face visits of conventional patient follow-ups. Remote monitoring of implanted devices will extend markedly in the coming years and its development touches many questions ranging from technical accuracy, patient benefit, cost-effectiveness and responsibilities of the provider and receivers of the delivered device data, to the role of the cardiologist and allied professionals and of course privacy rules. In this point of view, these questions are discussed in order to explore the consequences of device remote monitoring with nationwide Trials. (Neth Heart J 2009;17:434-7.).

Fluid status monitoring with a wireless network to reduce cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and mortality in heart failure: rationale and design of the OptiLink HF Study (Optimization of Heart Failure Management using OptiVol Fluid Status Monitoring and CareLink)

Aims

The Optimization of Heart Failure Management using OptiVol Fluid Status Monitoring and CareLink (OptiLink HF) study is designed to investigate whether OptiVol fluid status monitoring with an automatically generated wireless CareAlert notification via the CareLink Network can reduce all-cause death and cardiovascular hospitalizations in an HF population, compared with standard clinical assessment.

Methods

Patients with newly implanted or replacement cardioverter-defibrillator devices with or without cardiac resynchronization therapy, who have chronic HF in New York Heart Association class II or III and a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% will be eligible to participate. Following device implantation, patients are randomized to either OptiVol fluid status monitoring through CareAlert notification or regular care (OptiLink ‘on' vs. ‘off'). The primary endpoint is a composite of all-cause death or cardiovascular hospitalization. It is estimated that 1000 patients will be required to demonstrate superiority of the intervention group to reduce the primary outcome by 30% with 80% power.

Conclusion

The OptiLink HF study is designed to investigate whether early detection of congestion reduces mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization in patients with chronic HF. The study is expected to close recruitment in September 2012 and to report first results in May 2014.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00769457

Improved algorithm to detect fluid accumulation via intrathoracic impedance monitoring in heart failure patients with implantable devices

BACKGROUND

Intrathoracic impedance fluid monitoring has been shown to predict worsening congestive heart failure (CHF) in patients with implantable devices. We developed and externally validated a modified algorithm to identify worsening heart failure (HF) by using intrathoracic impedance.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The modified algorithm was developed by using published data from 81 CHF subjects averaging 259 days of follow-up. Device-measured daily impedance was input to both the existing and the modified intrathoracic impedance fluid monitoring algorithms to determine a reference impedance and a fluid index (FI). Separate validation sets included 326 cardiac resynchronization therapy device (CRT-D) patients with an average 333 days of follow-up (group 1) and 104 CRT-D/implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) patients followed for an average of 520 days (group 2). Clinicians and patients in group 2 were blinded to impedance and FI data. HF events included adjudicated HF hospitalizations or emergency room visits. Sensitivity was defined as the percentage of HF events preceded by FI exceeding the predefined threshold (60 Ω-d) within the last 2 weeks. Unexplained detections were FI threshold crossing events not followed by a HF event within 2 weeks. The modified algorithm significantly decreased unexplained detections by 30% (P = .01; GEE) in the development set, 30% (P < .001) in the group 1 validation set, and 43% (P < .001) in group 2. Sensitivity did not change significantly in any group. Simulated monthly review of FI threshold crossings identified subjects at significantly greater risk of worsening HF within the next 30 days.

CONCLUSIONS

A modified intrathoracic impedance based fluid detection algorithm lowered the number of unexplained FI threshold crossings and identified patients at significantly increased immediate risk of worsening HF.

Automatic adjustment of stimulation output in resynchronization therapy: impact and effectiveness in clinical practice

BACKGROUND

Algorithms for automatic pacing output adjustment have been implemented in pacemakers and implantable defibrillators (ICD) and recently in cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D). We assessed the impact and effectiveness of these automatic features.

METHOD AND RESULTS

We prospectively enrolled patients successfully implanted with the following Medtronic CRT-Ds: Concerto [with automatic left ventricular (LV) output management algorithm], Consulta [automatic management of atrial, right ventricular (RV) and LV voltage], and Sentry (only manual voltage adjustments). Patients with complete device data available for at least 12 months were included in the analysis. We analysed data from 739 patients (360 Sentry, 335 Concerto, 44 Consulta). During the first 6 months, the LV pacing amplitude underwent more frequent adjustments in Concerto (63%, P< 0.001) and Consulta (64%, P= 0.047) patients than in Sentry (48%). Similarly, RV and atrial amplitude at 6 months differed from the pre-discharge value more frequently in Consulta (61 and 50%, respectively) than in Sentry patients (33 and 28%, both P< 0.01). The LV pulse amplitude for Concerto and the voltages in the three chambers of Consulta were significantly lower than the corresponding values programmed in Sentry at 6 and 12 months. The proportion of CRT-D interrogations involving manual reprogramming was 97 ± 8% for Sentry, 79 ± 20% for Concerto, and 56 ± 16% for Consulta (all P< 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Algorithms for the automatic management of the pacing output reduced pacing output in comparison with the standard manual management approach, with potential optimization of battery longevity. Moreover, they reduced the need to manually reprogram CRT-Ds, suggesting the possibility to simplify CRT-D management and facilitate remote monitoring.

Innovation in health care technology: is it part of the problem or part of the solution? eHealth gives the answer

There is no doubt that the contribution of the Health Care Technologies to the tremendous evolution on Medicine since mid XX century has been one of its most important pillars. At the same time the innovation has been sometimes accused of been the root of the increase in the Health Care expenditure to support the Health of the society. Actually, when the Health Care Systems are focusing not only on the critical processes but on the continuum of the disease, the application of innovation to the chronic diseases and, more specifically, in the Cardiovascular ones (specially the Cardiac Insufficiency), represents a great challenge for care givers, patients and the Health Care Systems as their treatment requires continuous medical care and patient self management. The key for establishing this continuity of care in an efficient way is based in the concept of "Anticipation". This is the only way to avoid the burden of the continuous re-hospitalizations of this kind of patients. The engagement of patients in the adoption of healthy lifestyles with a positive impact in the progression of their diseases is fundamental to avoid the appearance of chronic complications or co-morbidities. Only with these assumptions the Innovation on Health Care Technologies will become part of the solution of the sustainability of the Health Care expenditure for the society. This paper present the keys for making the innovation efficient understanding the transversal of the Health Care processes.

The CONNECT (Clinical Evaluation of Remote Notification to Reduce Time to Clinical Decision) trial: the value of wireless remote monitoring with automatic clinician alerts

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective was to determine if wireless remote monitoring with automatic clinician alerts reduces the time from a clinical event to a clinical decision in response to arrhythmias, cardiovascular (CV) disease progression, and device issues compared to patients receiving standard in-office care. A secondary objective was to compare the rates of CV health care utilization between patients in the remote and in-office arms.

BACKGROUND

In addition to providing life-saving therapy, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators collect advanced diagnostics on the progression of the patient's heart disease. Device technology has progressed to allow wireless remote monitoring with automatic clinician alerts to replace some scheduled in-office visits.

METHODS

The CONNECT (Clinical Evaluation of Remote Notification to Reduce Time to Clinical Decision) study was a multicenter, prospective, randomized evaluation involving 1,997 patients from 136 clinical sites who underwent insertion of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (including cardiac resynchronization therapy devices) and were followed up for 15 months. Health care utilization data included all CV-related hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and clinic office visits.

RESULTS

The median time from clinical event to clinical decision per patient was reduced from 22 days in the in-office arm to 4.6 days in the remote arm (p < 0.001). The health care utilization data revealed a decrease in mean length of stay per CV hospitalization visit from 4.0 days in the in-office arm to 3.3 days in the remote arm (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Wireless remote monitoring with automatic clinician alerts as compared with standard in-office follow-up significantly reduced the time to a clinical decision in response to clinical events and was associated with a significant reduction in mean length of CV hospital stay. (Clinical Evaluation of Remote Notification to Reduce Time to Clinical Decision [CONNECT]; NCT00402246).

Potential for electronic health records and online social networking to redefine medical research

BACKGROUND

Recent legislation in the US requires that all medical records become electronic over the next decade. In addition, ongoing developments in patient-oriented care, most notably with the advent of health social networking and personal health records, provide a plethora of new information sources for research.

CONTENT

Electronic health records (EHRs) show great potential for use in observational studies to examine drug safety via pharmacovigiliance methods that can find adverse drug events as well as expand drug safety profiles. EHRs also show promise for head-to-head comparative effectiveness trials and could play a critical role in secondary and tertiary diabetes prevention efforts. A growing subset of EHRs, personal health records (PHRs), opens up the possibility of engaging patients in their care, as well as new opportunities for participatory research and personalized medicine. Organizations nationwide, from providers to employers, are already investing heavily in PHR systems. Additionally, the explosive use of online social networking sites and mobile technologies will undoubtedly play a role in future research efforts by making available a veritable flood of information, such as real-time exercise monitoring, to health researchers.

SUMMARY

The future confluence of health information technologies will enable researchers and clinicians to reveal novel therapies and insights into treatments and disease management, as well as environmental and genomic interactions, at an unprecedented population scale.

A review on remote monitoring technology applied to implantable electronic cardiovascular devices

Implantable electronic cardiovascular devices (IECD) include a broad spectrum of devices that have the ability to maintain rhythm, provide cardiac resynchronization therapy, and/or prevent sudden cardiac death. The incidence of bradyarrhythmias and other cardiac problems led to a broader use of IECD, which turned traditional follow-up into an extremely heavy burden for healthcare systems to support. Our aim was to assess the impact of remote monitoring on the follow-up of patients with IECD. We performed a review through PubMed using a specific query. The paper selection process included a three-step approach in which title, abstract, and cross-references were analyzed. Studies were then selected using previously defined inclusion criteria and analyzed according to the country of origin of the study, year, and journal of publication; type of study; and main issues covered. Twenty articles were included in this review. Eighty percent of the selected papers addressed clinical issues, from which 94% referred clinical events identification, clinical stability, time savings, or physician satisfaction as advantages, whereas 38% referred disadvantages that included both legal and technical issues. Forty-five percent of the papers referred patient issues, from which 89% presented advantages, focusing on patient acceptance/satisfaction, and patient time-savings. The main downsides were technical issues but patient privacy was also addressed. All the papers dealing with economic issues (20%) referred both advantages and disadvantages equally. Remote monitoring is presently a safe technology, widely accepted by patients and physicians, for its convenience, reassurance, and diagnostic potential. This review summarizes the principles of remote IECD monitoring presenting the current state-of-the-art. Patient safety and device interaction, applicability of current technology, and limitations of remote IECD monitoring are also addressed. The use of remote monitor should consider the selection of patients, the type of disease, and centers' availability to receive, interpret and respond to device alerts. Before remote IECD monitoring can be routinely used, technical, procedure, and ethical/legal issues should be addressed.

Can information technology improve the performance of remote monitoring systems?

Despite some clinical, economic, and other qualitative advantages associated with remote cardiac device monitoring systems, one of the main challenges concerns the management of the out-of-hospital data. Manual updating of hospital databases with the data stored in the manufacturers' servers increases time requirements and may introduce mistakes in the entries. The use of communication standards such as Health Level 7 for data interchange could provide a safe and easy way to access patient and device information. The present study of 38 patients was carried out with the Carelink® remote monitoring technology. A formal process for remote cardiac device monitoring was established, including some features in the Arrhythmias Information System: mobile phone and e-mail were included for communication between patients and hospital, with a new gateway for automatic message sending. Device reports generated through the manufacturer's application were attached to the patient's record. Once the information concerning the transmission session was reviewed, the physician made a medical report, which was sent via post and e-mail to the patient. A new interface was created for Health Level 7 communication with the manufacturers' applications, so that the Arrhythmias Information System could automatically interchange information concerning the device and/or the patient when this kind of communication system is available. The volume of data generated by system warning alerts and transmission sessions makes it very difficult to meet the hospital database updating requirements. Standard-based communication between hospital and manufacturers' applications is fundamental to automatic and reliable update of data.

Early detection of adverse events with daily remote monitoring versus quarterly standard follow-up program in patients with CRT-D

BACKGROUND

A relative high rate of clinical and device-related adverse events (AE) is generally reported in patients with implantable defibrillators for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT-D). Aim of this study was to compare a daily remote monitoring (RM) to a standard program of in-office visits.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We retrospectively analyzed RM database and hospital files of 99 CRT-D consecutive patients who were visited in the out-patient clinic every 3-4 months; thirty-three patients were in addition controlled remotely with RM (RM group). Kaplan-Meier curves of clinical or device-related AE-free rates were obtained. During a median follow-up of 7 months, clinical AEs were: ventricular and atrial arrhythmias in 14 and 11 patients, low CRT pacing in nine, heart failure, strokes, or death in 15. Device-related AEs were: insufficient pacing/sensing performances in nine patients, lead dislodgement in five. As comparing the RM group with the remaining patients, Kaplan-Meier curves of clinical AEs diverged to significantly different rates: 23.8% (confidence interval [CI] 0.1%-47.5%) in the RM group and 48.7% (21.6-75.7%) in the remaining patients (P = 0.00002), with a hazard ratio of 0.14 (CI 0.06-0.37). Nondivergent Kaplan-Meier curves were obtained for device-related AE-free rates.

CONCLUSION

CRT-D patients followed with quarterly in-office visits without a daily RM system had an 86% higher risk of delayed detection of clinical AEs, during a median follow-up of 7 months.

Basic study of a transcutaneous information transmission system using intra-body communication

The transcutaneous communication system (TCS) is one of the key technologies for monitoring and controling artificial hearts and other artificial organs in the body. In this study, we have developed a new TCS that uses the human body as a conductive medium. Having no energy conversion from electric currents into electromagnetic waves and light provides energy-saving data transmission with a simple electrical circuit. Each unit of the TCS mainly consists of two electrodes, an amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulator and an ASK demodulator (carrier frequency: 4 and 10 MHz). A resonant frequency of an L-C tank circuit including the capacitance component of the body is tuned into each carrier frequency in order to apply the data current effectively into the body. Performance of the TCS was evaluated by a communication test on the surface of a human body. The TCS was able to transmit 3,315 bytes of data bi-directionally at a transmission rate of 115 kbps from a left wrist to a right forearm, to an abdomen and to a left calf without communication error. The power consumption of each TCS unit was 125 mW with an ASK modulated current of 7 mA (RMS). While further study is required to secure its safety, the TCS promises to be a next-generation transcutaneous communication device.

[Progress in cardiac pacing]

This review discusses the utility and current status of remote monitoring in patients with cardiac devices in Spain, the different anticoagulation strategies used during device implantation, the surgical replacement and maintenance of pacemakers and defibrillators, and the present and future importance of impedance sensors in cardiac pacing and heart failure management. Finally, there is a summary of the most relevant scientific articles published in the last year.

Remote monitoring of implantable cardioverter defibrillators versus quarterly device interrogations in clinic: results from a randomized pilot clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Remote monitoring is increasingly becoming the new standard of care for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) follow-up. We sought to determine whether remote monitoring of ICDs improves patient outcomes compared with quarterly device interrogations in clinic.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this single-center pilot clinical trial, adult patients with an ICD were randomly assigned to remote monitoring versus quarterly device interrogations in clinic. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular hospitalization, emergency room visit for a cardiac cause, and unscheduled visit to the electrophysiology clinic for a device-related issue at 1 year. We also examined health-related quality of life, costs, and patient satisfaction with their ICD care. Of 151 patients enrolled in this trial, 76 were randomized to remote monitoring and 75 to quarterly device interrogations in clinic. There was no significant difference in the primary endpoint (32% in the remote monitoring arm vs 34% in the control arm; P = 0.8), mortality, or cost between the 2 arms. Quality of life and patient satisfaction were significantly better in the control arm than in the remote monitoring arm at 6 months (83 [25th, 75th percentiles 70, 90] vs 75 [50, 85]; P = 0.002 and 88 [75, 100] vs 75 [75, 88]; P = 0.03, respectively), but not at 12 months.

CONCLUSION

We showed no significant reduction in cardiac-related resource utilization with remote monitoring of ICDs. However, given the small number of patients in our study, the real clinical and health economics impact of remote monitoring needs to be verified by a large, multicenter, randomized clinical trial.

[Telemedicine in pacemaker therapy and follow-up]

Present-day remote systems for cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) provide, in contrast to previous solutions, a broad range of data about the patient and the implanted device ("remote control"). Telemedicine includes remote monitoring as well as remote follow-up: Remote monitoring is the continual interrogation of the device to detect patient- or device-related adverse events earlier than with standard follow-up visits. Remote follow-up aims to replace scheduled and unscheduled face-to-face follow-up visits due to the interrogation of the automatic pacemaker functions. Currently available remote systems, such as Home Monitoring, CareLink, Merlin.net, and Latitude, have in common that they interrogate the device, send these data to a server, and provide the data to the physician on a secured web site. Automatic wireless interrogation of the device is the preferred solution; however, the devices must have been equipped with a micro-antenna, which is usually restricted to more recent pacemaker models. Knowledge about remote control in pacemaker patients is limited, because most remote applications were evaluated in ICD and CRT patients. While the most frequently reported clinical event in pacemaker patients is atrial fibrillation, the impact in routine clinical follow-up still has to be evaluated in detail. Device-related adverse events are rare. Large, long-term, randomized trials are comparing remote and conventional approaches with the aim of demonstrating the benefits of telemedicine in this patient group.

Remote monitoring and follow-up of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators

In the era of communication technology, new options are now available for following-up patients implanted with pacemakers (PMs) and defibrillators (ICDs). Most major companies offer devices with wireless capabilities that communicate automatically with home transmitters, which then relay data to the physician, thereby allowing remote patient follow-up and monitoring. These systems are being widely used in the USA for remote follow-up, and have been more recently introduced in Europe, where their adoption is increasing. In this article, we describe the currently existing systems, review the available evidence in the literature regarding remote follow-up and monitoring of PMs and ICDs, and finally discuss some unresolved issues.

Design of the evolution of management strategies of heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators (EVOLVO) study to assess the ability of remote monitoring to treat and triage patients more effectively

Background

Heart failure patients with implantable defibrillators (ICD) frequently visit the clinic for routine device monitoring. Moreover, in the case of clinical events, such as ICD shocks or alert notifications for changes in cardiac status or safety issues, they often visit the emergency department or the clinic for an unscheduled visit. These planned and unplanned visits place a great burden on healthcare providers.

Internet-based remote device interrogation systems, which give physicians remote access to patients' data, are being proposed in order to reduce routine and interim visits and to detect and notify alert conditions earlier.

Methods

The EVOLVO study is a prospective, randomized, parallel, unblinded, multicenter clinical trial designed to compare remote ICD management with the current standard of care, in order to assess its ability to treat and triage patients more effectively.

Two-hundred patients implanted with wireless-transmission-enabled ICD will be enrolled and randomized to receive either the Medtronic CareLink^® monitor for remote transmission or the conventional method of in-person evaluations. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the design of the trial. The results, which are to be presented separately, will characterize healthcare utilizations as a result of ICD follow-up by means of remote monitoring instead of conventional in-person evaluations.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00873899