The prevalence of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and heart failure patients eligible for remote monitoring in Germany

Abstract

BackgroundIn Germany, contemporary data on the prevalence of patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is lacking. Recently, ICD patients with heart failure (HF) fulfilling pre-defined criteria by the G-BA (Federal Joined Committee) are eligible for remote monitoring (RM) reimbursement. This investigation aims to evaluate the prevalence of HF patients with an ICD meeting these criteria.MethodsAnnual national quality assurance data from all German hospitals on newly implanted ICDs, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between 2010 and 2021 were obtained to build a prevalence model. The number of ICD patients eligible for RM was calculated by applying the main G-BA inclusion criteria.ResultsThe ICD prevalence increased continuously from 2010 to 2017 (202.637 patients in 2017) and decreased with a lower rate until 2022. The model calculated an ICD prevalence of 190.698 patients in 2022 of which an estimated 120.941 ICD patients with HF were eligible for RM. This reflects approximately 63% of the actual total estimated ICD patient population in Germany.ConclusionsThe model identified a large patient population currently eligible for RM. To our knowledge, this is the first study providing information on the size of this ICD patient population with HF in Germany. With only a fraction of eligible patients currently receiving RM, these findings may facilitate future planning, resource calculations and scale-up of RM. The building of a specific infrastructure focussing on efficient use of resources reflects a mandatory prerequisite for successful RM implementation.