Impact of Implantable Wireless Cardiac Monitor in the Healthcare Industry

Impact of Implantable Wireless Cardiac Monitor in the Healthcare Industry

Implantable Wireless Cardiac Monitors are the latest advent in cardiac healthcare industry allowing doctors to continuously monitor irregular heartbeat of patients remotely. Being an internally implantable device, there is nothing visible on the outside, allowing patients with spells of unexplained fainting and dizziness lead a much better quality of life. External cardiac monitors are cumbersome, cannot be worn for long periods of time and may miss to record events of syncope and other cardiac irregularities. Implantable cardiac monitors, on the other hand, can be used for up to 3 years to record irregularities automatically.

A Step Ahead, Technically

Few millimeters in size and equipped with long lasting AAA battery, a wireless cardiac device is inserted under the skin and is invisible externally. The new age cardiac monitors have inbuilt algorithms that allow tracking of arrhythmic events without any intervention required on part of the patient. In case of physical symptoms, patient can activate the monitor with an external switch leading to recording of ECG data for several minutes. An inbuilt memory loop means the monitoring will start automatically next time it tracks a similar pattern. Thus, the ICM can be used even during debilitating events without patient intervention, a potentially lifesaving advancement.

Moving over Holter Technology – 24/7 monitoring

Thanks to new age Implantable Cardiac Monitors (ICM), doctors now have access to patient ECG data 24/7.

Holter technology utilized externally attached electrodes sending electric signals from the heart that were transferred to a device logging information. ICM, on the other hand, is inserted inside the skin and does not require patients to activate it. The recorded data is continuously read by a monitor connected to a phone line which sends the information to a website where physicians can access the information remotely. This means patients are monitored continuously, 24/7 anywhere across the world.

The technology empowers doctors to receive information directly from patients’ bedrooms and monitor them from miles away. It has helped doctors understand cases of previously unexplained fainting and detecting heart rhythm irregularities. With ICM, doctors can actually see heart events as they happen, instead of predicting or guessing.

Costs

ICM technology may seem more expensive at the outset, however, the one time cost of inserting a much more advanced ICM turns out to be lesser than frequently spending on Holter. ICM is especially considered to be much more beneficial and cost effective in cases of unexplained fainting and irregularities.

ICM, though a relatively new technology, has revolutionized cardiac healthcare by allowing doctors to remotely observe patients 24/7. It also helps patients lead a better life by dispensing the need of external monitoring devices that are uncomfortable and cumbersome in the long run. Now a small invisible chip allows continuous monitoring for patients without interfering with their lifestyle.