Philips has just announced a roll out of a new Web-based system for remote monitoring of pacemakers. There’s not too much detail on the workings of the system in the press release, but the strategically out-of-focus device in the image looks very much like a St. Jude Medical Merlin@home transmitter. Merlin@home is used to interface with SJM’s implantable devices, and we suspect Philips is outsourcing that functionality to power its new service.
Philips brings unprecedented convenience and patient care quality to cardiology practices by conducting Web-based remote monitoring of their pacemaker patients, according to Phillips executives. Philips technicians review, summarize and triage each pacemaker test and provide clinically appropriate, customized notification to support timely and informed patient management for the physicians.
The team of Philips certified cardiographic technicians undergo intensive training and average more than 15 years of experience in pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) follow-up. The technicians analyze and interpret more than 1,000 pacemaker transmissions per day, which enables them to spot even subtle abnormalities. This analysis resulted in a .009 percent error rate over the past 12 months. And with 24/7 surveillance, cardiologists are alerted to critical patient data in real-time, without having to be on-call.
Press release: Philips launches 24/7 pacemaker monitoring …