Remote Monitoring Service Allows Quick Access to ICD Data

A new remote monitoring system enables clinicians in healthcare facilities to quickly obtain data regarding the status of implanted cardiac devices (ICDs), facilitating faster treatment decisions.

The Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA) CareLink Express enables the remote review of Medtronic implanted ICDs, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), insertable cardiac monitor (ICM), and pacemaker device data. When a patient with an implanted Medtronic cardiac device arrives at the healthcare facility, a staff member uses the CareLink Express Monitor to check the implanted device and the device data is transmitted to the CareLink Network, where an expert receives an automatic notification via page or email indicating that new information is available.

The device expert reviews the information remotely and provides an assessment of the device status to the hospital. Based on the assessment, the healthcare facility staff determines the appropriate treatment for the patient. The device data from CareLink Express can be also automatically exported to the facility’s electronic health records (EHR). In addition, the implanted device data is automatically sent via the CareLink Network to the patient’s device-following physician, for immediate access.

The CareLink Express service was evaluated in a 55-site pilot program, finding that hospitals using the CareLink Express were able to reduce patient wait times from an average of 84 minutes to less than 15 minutes. The reduced wait times help expedite clinical decision making so that patients receive needed care sooner, and reduce bottlenecks in expensive care settings such as the emergency room (ER).

“In line with Medtronic’s stated goal of offering products and services that provide enhanced economic value to hospitals and clinicians, our data shows that CareLink Express reduces burdens on physicians and hospitals by increasing workflow efficiency and reducing operating costs,” said Pat Mackin, senior vice president and president of the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management business at Medtronic. “These efficiencies demonstrate that quality of care and cost reduction can work hand-in-hand; it’s not necessary to diminish patient care in order to reduce healthcare costs.”

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