Is mobile cardiac telemetry worth it? According to an observational study where more than 200,000 patients suffering from cardiovascular disease were followed for almost five years, the addition of mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) proved extremely beneficial.
The study, reported in the peer-reviewed journal Medical Devices: Evidence and Research, gathered data on 163,000 patients who wore a Holter monitor for their follow-up therapy, 54,000 patients wearing an Event monitor, and 14,000 patients using an MCT monitor. MCT devices are the newest technology in monitoring options and offer small, portable monitors that automatically transmit data to a monitoring network where a trained cardiac nurse interprets any cardiac anomalies. By offering constant monitoring and analysis, mobile cardiac telemetry gives a more accurate picture than cardiac event monitors, which are activated by patients when symptoms are present.
Constant cardiac monitoring reported episodes of unexplained syncope, arrhythmic episodes, cryptogenic stroke, and post-ablation that patients did not record on self-reporting monitors or monitors that focused only on electrocardiac symptoms.
- Of these patients, it was noted that 61% of MCT-monitored patients yielded some form of cardiac anomaly compared to 23% of event-monitored patients and 24% of Holter-monitored patients.
- The same percentage of patients monitored with MCTs – 61% – initiated drug therapy secondary to monitoring. Event and Holter wearers noted 39% and 43% drug therapy requests, respectively.
- Because the MCT devices recorded and transmitted data signifying heart anomalies, physicians were able to proactively treat patients before symptoms became severe. The estimated savings from simple heart procedures versus open-heart surgeries or other traditional long-term hospitalized care procedures was reported to be quite excessive.
- While the study tracked patients for 57 months, the highest proportion of events occurred within the first twelve months of use. The recommended amount of MCT therapy for cardiovascular patients, according to this study, is one year.
- At its conclusion, the article states, “Given the superior outcome of MCT regarding both patient care and hospital savings, hospitals only stand to gain by enforcing protocols that favor the MCT system over the Event or the Holter monitor.”
For more information on the latest trends in cardiovascular news and health, read our blogs. To speak with one of our knowledgeable mobile cardiac telemetry experts, contact ReactDx at (800) 23-HEART (234-3278).
