Remote cardiac monitoring system reaches milestone

Calgary program leads country in number of patients using device

Story by Colin Zak; Photo by Paul Rotzinger

As a frequent traveller to the U.S., Bruce McRitchie faces the prospect of costly visits to the emergency department if his heart rhythm device acts up while he’s south of the border.

The 59-year-old Calgary man uses a defibrillator to occasionally correct his arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. Now, if he suspects a problem, he can send critical heart rhythm data to his doctor over the phone, any time day or night, and determine if the issue requires emergency care.

“It has saved me many trips to the emergency ward,” he says. “It’s nice to know I’m a phone call away from help.”

McRitchie is one of about 1,200 patients, mostly in southern Alberta, are now using the Medtronic Carelink system, which allows local health care providers within Alberta Health Services (AHS) to remotely monitor patients who have pacemakers, defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization and implantable heart monitors.

The Calgary program has become the first in Canada to equip more than 1,000 cardiac patients with the system, reducing unnecessary hospital and emergency department visits.

“Instead of coming to the clinic every three months, patients now only need to come in once a year. About a third of our patients live more than 100 kilometres from the clinic, so this technology saves hundreds of people a lot of travel time and expense,” says Dr. Derek Exner, Medical Director of the AHS Cardiac Arrhythmia Program at Foothills Medical Centre.

“Fewer visits mean more space for us to see other patients.”

VIDEO: Cardiac Monitor

In 2004, the program was the first in Canada to use Carelink, which was designed in the U.S. and is now used in most major North American centres for early recognition and prompt correction of an irregular heartbeat. A similar program is being developed in Edmonton to serve patients throughout northern Alberta.

The remote monitoring system – fully funded by AHS – uses a small bedside monitor, about the size of a clock radio, which transmits data from the heart rhythm device, over a phone line to a secure server. The device data is then reviewed by clinical staff.

Carelink can send automatic transmissions whenever a patient is within three metres of the bedside monitor, and makes automatic transmissions if a potential problem with the patient’s heart rhythm or heart rhythm device is identified. Patients can also make manual transmissions if they feel something is wrong, alleviating anxiety and improving the delivery of health care.

“I’ve been on the other side of the world on the phone with a patient letting them know what’s going on with their heart rhythm device,” Dr. Exner says. “It allows us to follow patients more closely without increasing clinical staff. It’s an incredibly powerful tool.”

Dr. Todd Anderson, Director of Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and Department Head of Cardiac Science, says the arrhythmia services at Libin continue to provide leading-edge care to patients throughout southern Alberta, as well as parts of southern B.C. and Saskatchewan.

“Carelink is not only more convenient for patients with implantable heart rhythm devices but has also allowed us to provide them with a superior level of care,” Dr. Anderson says. “This has helped drive the growth of this program since it started. Today AHS and Libin Cardiovascular Institute are national leaders when it comes to remote monitoring of heart rhythm patients.”