The NHS has started rolling out a new at-home heart monitor designed to detect heart rhythm problems.
\nUnlike traditional monitors that can require lengthy set-up by a trained physiologist, the innovative kit can be posted to patients for them to attach themselves at home and used to investigate conditions including atrial fibrillation, tachycardia or heart blocks.
\nThe device itself is a small patch that adheres to the skin, while traditional devices see patients hooked up to numerous wires and monitors during hospital visits.<\/p>\n
After the new tool is worn for a few days, patients simply post the monitor back, removing the necessity for appointments to fit and remove the equipment.
\nThe collected data is then analysed by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Cardiologs, which generates a report for assessment by a physiologist or doctor.<\/p>\n
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is the first hospital in the country to roll out the device, with hopes that the device will soon be used across other NHS trusts.<\/p>\n
The Trust said it will still use traditional devices, known as Holter monitors, on some patients who are in hospital, but many of those who are outside of hospital will be able to access the new ePatch, which is made by Philips, to use in the comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n
It is estimated that the use of the patches will double productivity levels for diagnosing heart rhythm problems.
\nDr Iain Sim, consultant cardiac electrophysiologist, said the purpose of the device is \u201cto record the heart rhythm \u2013 to collect electrical signals from the heart \u2013 and to try to understand a bit about the patient and what they are experiencing and whether that can be explained by their heart rhythm\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis smaller device allows us to measure at the moment up to 10 days.
\n\u201cThe benefits of it are that it is smaller and more convenient, rather than having different wires all over the place.
\n\u201cWe are able to put them on faster, and we\u2019re able to reduce our turnaround times for reports and to get results back to patients faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that traditional Holter monitors are attached by trained physiologists, but there is a shortage of these staff members at present.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause these are more straightforward, we\u2019ve got specialist nurses who can be quite easily trained to apply them,\u201d he added.
\nSuzanne Jordan, associate director for medicine at Frimley Health, said the patches can even be sent out to patients for them to attach themselves.<\/p>\n
The feedback from the monitors is developed into reports for medics ,which are categorised in a traffic light system, she said.
\n\u201cGreen is perfectly fine \u2013 within normal limits; amber may need a clinician to review the report; red means potentially significant pauses or arrhythmia that need an urgent review,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really positive \u2013 staff and patients really like it. We can post the patches to patients \u2013 there are explicit instructions there in terms of how to put it on, what to do if there\u2019s a problem, and also just to send it back as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce it comes back, it gets downloaded and the turnaround times are great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Jordan added: \u201cIf you think of the bigger picture, it means that we\u2019re going to be able to manage our patients quickly.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been running clinics by seeing maybe 30 patients in one day, whereas before, we were probably seeing 14 maximum \u2013 so we\u2019ve kind of doubled our productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about the conditions which will be monitored with the devices, Dr Sim added: \u201cAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a really important and common condition that we pick up with these devices, and we\u2019re increasingly looking at whether we can use them to help detect AF that\u2019s not symptomatic, and whether people are increased risk of stroke that we don\u2019t know about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The NHS has started rolling out a new at-home heart monitor designed to detect heart rhythm problems. Unlike traditional monitors that can require lengthy set-up by a trained physiologist, the innovative kit can be posted to patients for them to attach themselves at home and used to investigate conditions including atrial fibrillation, tachycardia or heart […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[114],"class_list":{"0":"post-951","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sitefansalaran-international-news","8":"tag-new-at-home-heart-monitors-to-slash-nhs-hospital-waiting-lists"},"yoast_head":"\n