Remote Monitoring in Cardiology and Evidence From Trial Data

Types of Remote Monitoring

Telemonitoring (the remote monitoring of patients using information technology) has developed rapidly over the course of the past decade. Within cardiology, such technology has been widely studied in patients with heart failure.

There are several approaches that can be used to remotely monitor patients with heart failure:

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  Structured telephone support from a healthcare professional, where the patient monitors their symptoms and weight and reports these to a healthcare professional;
  
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  Patient-initiated electronic monitoring with transfer of physiological data, with or without a symptom record, from the patient in their home to the healthcare professional, using a telephone or broadband connection ('standalone' remote monitoring);
  
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  Implanted device monitoring, where a defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization (CRT) device, or an implanted hemodynamic monitor, can transmit data wirelessly to a near-patient unit that is connected to a telephone or broadband connection.