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Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology

, Volume 34, Issue 3, pp 317–324 | Cite as

Patient satisfaction and suggestions for improvement of remote ICD monitoring

  • Helen Høgh Petersen
  • Mie Christa Jensen Larsen
  • Olav Wendelboe Nielsen
  • Finn Kensing
  • Jesper Hastrup Svendsen
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Purpose

The study aim was to evaluate patient acceptance and content with remote follow-up (FU) of their implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and to estimate patients’ wish for changes in remote follow-up routines.

Methods

Four hundred seventy-four ICD patients at the device follow-up clinic at Rigshospitalet using CareLink® (Medtronic) remote follow-up, who had made ≥2 transmissions, received a questionnaire.

Results

Three hundred eighty-five patients (81.2%) answered. Mean time with ICD was 56 ± 45 months and mean age was 62 ± 13 years; 80% was male. Diagnosis related to ICD implant was: ischemic heart disease in 56% and dilated cardiomyopathy in 21%. Twenty-six percent had primary prophylactic indication. Mean time on remote FU was 16.4 ± 6.9 months. Mean time spent on in-clinic FU (two-way transport and FU) was 4 h and 36 min ± 7 h and 50 min, excluding 12 patients from Greenland and Faroe Islands. Ninety-five percent of the patients was very content or content with remote FU compared to in-clinic FU; 3% was less content and 2% was not content. For scheduled transmissions, 21% of the patients wished for a faster reply (sms or e-mail) compared to current practice with a letter. Eighty-four percent preferred more detailed information concerning ICD leads, battery status, and ICD therapies. A total of 96 patients (25%) had performed extra unscheduled remote transmissions: 20 due to shock, 20 due to alarm, 35 due to palpitations, and 18 for other or combined reasons.

Conclusion

Ninety-five percent of the patients were content with the remote FU. Only 25% had unscheduled transmissions and most unscheduled transmissions were for appropriate reasons. Eighty-four percent of the patients wished for a more detailed response and 21% wished for a faster reply after routine transmissions.

Keywords

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator Remote monitoring Patient acceptance Telemedicine 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Helen Høgh Petersen
    • 1
  • Mie Christa Jensen Larsen
    • 1
  • Olav Wendelboe Nielsen
    • 2
  • Finn Kensing
    • 3
  • Jesper Hastrup Svendsen
    • 1
    • 4
    • 5
  1. 1.Department of CardiologyThe Heart CentreCopenhagen OEDenmark
  2. 2.The Department of Cardiology, Bispebjerg HospitalUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen NVDenmark
  3. 3.Center for IT InnovationUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen SDenmark
  4. 4.Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagen NDenmark
  5. 5.The Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia (DARC)Copenhagen NDenmark

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