REMOTE CARDIAC MONITORING: MEANING
Remote cardiac monitoring is a fairly non-invasive method of keeping track of a patient’s cardiac activity from a remote location. Cardiac monitoring, or remote heart monitoring, is a method by which information from a patient’s implantable rhythm management device can be communicated directly to a physician’s office. This allows the doctor and their team to review a patient’s heart activity and device performance without the patient needing to be physically present
RCM PROGRAMME: NEED
With the fast-approaching digitization, opting for remote cardiac monitoring services has become the need of the hour. The major need for Remote Cardiac Monitoring Programmes is to keep patients' heart healthy and in good condition. It has evolved to provide physicians with more insight into how the heart is behaving. A healthcare report from 2021 reveals that approximately a third of India's senior citizens have been diagnosed with hypertension, 2.7% have had a stroke, and 5.2% have been admitted with chronic heart disease. It has been determined that this country's growing number of heart disease patients and inadequate medical resources, such as hospital beds, are major areas of concern. What else could be a more important reason & need to understand the importance of Remote Cardiac Monitoring; especially during the sudden occurrences of situations like the global pandemic?It would not be wrong to mention here that the minimum medical support available is another prime reason indicating towards the urgent necessity of remote monitoring devices, especially for heart patients.Another two reasons of its increasing priority is to first allow constant communication between the patients and the doctors and second, the remote availability which increases flexibility for both the hospitals and the patients. Cardiac Rhythm is one such remote device facility that offers wireless medical solutions for all heart-related issues and concerns.
One of the most important benefits of remote cardiac device monitoring is that it cuts down on routine doctor visits.
The ability to continuously keep tabs on a patient’s cardiac health and functioning of their rhythm management device has proven to be beneficial in a number of ways. Fewer in-person visits are required, saving patients time and expense that may be associated with doctor appointments. Furthermore, research has revealed significant benefits associated with overall quality of care. Some of the most impressive findings include: Greater than 65% reduction in hospitalizations due to atrial arrhythmiaNearly 80% reduction in the time taken to detect clinical eventsPatients with remote monitoring devices have a probability of survival that is more than 2x greater than those without.
Cardiac Monitoring may be recommended if you have to a patient when they have:
- Cardiac Arrhythmia (having an abnormal heartbeat)
- Experienced fainting or shortness of breath
- Sporadically felt heart pains, as it may not be detected at the time you go to the doctors
- Felt that you may be at risk of a heart condition
- Previously had a heart condition
Steps to Improve Your Cardiac Monitoring Programme:
As care is increasingly managed between hospital and home, remote monitoring devices are playing a vital role in developing effective cardiac care pathways
The most important piece of information comes from some good steps for improving one's own cardiac monitoring program as if the program to manage the monitoring of heart is not good enough then one can not expect to get well informed results. Five steps to bring improvement in your cardiac monitoring programme can be:
- Establish clear goals. Develop clear, measurable and attainable program goals rooted in the Quadruple Aim: improving patient experience, population health, and provider satisfaction, while reducing per capita healthcare costs.
- Put the right people in the right role with the right preparation. If you don’t engage your staff in roles that match their qualifications, you may wind up with poor patient enrollment, staff burnout and high turnover. To avoid these problems, clearly define the team roles and responsibilities in your RCM program. Train your clinical, administrative, and financial staff.
- Use technology to automate workflows. Automated workflows deliver the right patient data to the right provider at the right time. Automation limits variability, increases efficiency and maximizes reimbursement.
- Use remote monitoring software to replace manual processes and automate your workflow and data management. Remote monitoring software can help you streamline your RCM program by integrating data from multiple device manufacturers, providing actionable insights and alerts, simplifying billing and reporting, and enhancing patient engagement and compliance.
- Expand your RCM program. Various cardiac conditions and devices, including implantable loop recorders (ILRs), implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) devices, can all benefit from an effective RCM program.
Conduct Ongoing Patient Outreach
Don't just enroll patients and leave them to fend for themselves during monitoring. Schedule periodic check-in calls to see if they have questions on the technology or process. Troubleshoot any technical issues in a timely manner. Use motivational interviewing techniques to encourage adherence. Analyze program data on an ongoing basis to identify areas for improvement. For more information on remote cardiac monitoring devices, feel free to contact Octagos at (281) 769-8733. You can also drop by and visit us in person at 13325 Hargrave Rd Suite 281, Houston, TX 77070. We are located on the first floor of the Hargrave Plaza.