Application of remote monitoring systems for cardiac implantable electronic devices in elderly patients

Abstract

Objective To investigate the application of remote monitoring systems for cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and its success rate of data transmission in elderly patients. Methods A total of 97 elderly patients who had previously undergone procedures for pacemaker implantation, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with remote monitoring capabilities between January 2013 and October 2016 at our hospital were enrolled.We evaluated the effect of the remote monitoring systems for data transmission, compared the outpatient follow-up rates between the groups one year after implantation, and conducted a telephone survey of patients. Results A total of 97 elderly patients, including 70 with pacemakers, 20 with ICD and 7 with CRT, were enrolled in this study.Participants had a mean age of (78.2±6.4) years and 64 were male (66.0%). The Home Monitoring system was used for 85 cases and the Merlin.net remote monitoring system was used for 12 cases.Overall, 95 patients (97.9%) completed the remote monitoring procedure, 68 patients (70.1%) completed the outpatient follow-up, and 90 patients (92.8%) completed the telephone survey during a one-year follow-up period.The satisfaction rate for the remote monitoring systems was 94.4% (85 patients), and 80 patients (90.0%) expressed a willingness to continue to use the remote monitoring system if a replacement was needed. Conclusions For elderly patients with CIED, the remote monitoring systems can improve the follow-up rate with a high degree of satisfaction. Key words: Remote monitoring system; Cardiac implantable electronic device