3 Ways Wearable ECG Monitoring System Enables Remote Care of Cardiac Patients

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming the lives of an estimated 17.9 million people per year. Coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular illness, rheumatic heart disease, and other heart and blood vessel problems are all classified as CVDs. Heart attacks and strokes account for more than four out of every five CVD deaths, with one-third of these deaths occurring before the age of 70.^[1]

In the recent years, remote ECG monitoring technologies have been utilized in monitoring of various types of heart diseases, and the capacity of the data transmission and reception of ECG signals during the remote monitoring process has been advancing.

What is Electrocardiogram or ECG?

An electrocardiogram records the electrical signals in your heart. In its most basic form, an electrocardiogram graphically displays heart function and allows for immediate assessment. When compared to other types of diagnostics, ECG is the most affordable and cost-effective option. It is thought to be extremely informative, and the procedure takes between 5 and 10 minutes. ECG machines are commonplace in operating rooms and ambulances. However, now, ECG monitoring is available in some personal devices, such as smart watches.

How Wearable ECG Monitoring Enables Remote Care of Patients Living with Heart Diseases

Remote ECG monitoring is a method of communicating information from a patient’s wearable device directly to a physician’s office. This enables the healthcare provider and their care coordination team to monitor and analyze a patient’s ECG and other relevant vital signs without the patient needing to visit the clinic.

Wearable remote ECG monitoring systems are becoming increasingly popular as medical devices for remote heart monitoring. To send physiological information to healthcare providers, the patient needs to wear or mount the monitoring equipment which transmits data to a smart phone or other communication devices via Bluetooth. During the measurements, the data will be uploaded at the same time, backed up, and analyzed using AI technology, and the healthcare providers will be able to receive alerts and provide feedback if needed. Here are some benefits of remote ECG monitoring for both patients and providers:

1. Preventive remote real-time monitoring of heart rhythms

Patients who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease can benefit from continuous cardiac monitoring and remote medical supervision. ECG software can reveal potential cardiovascular problems with greater accuracy and prevent serious cardiac events for many patients because it provides physicians with captured health information continuously transmitted from patients combined with automation options. Concerning health trends or issues can be identified and treated as soon as possible, before they progress into a more dangerous condition.

2. Less clinical visits and more personal mobility

Patients living with heart disease/s will benefit greatly from wearable ECG monitoring systems like smart watches because they will not have to be constantly connected to clinical settings or make frequent visits to medical offices. Instead, patients can travel and enjoy active lifestyles (if recommended by their healthcare doctors) with remote monitoring interwoven into their daily routines.

3. More patients can be monitored with less cost and effort

Remote ECG monitoring is a much-needed technology in the COVID-19 era. Because a greater proportion of heart problems may now be detected and treated successfully in an outpatient setting, the utilization rate of expensive hospital beds can be streamlined and rebalanced in favor of severe/urgent conditions. Traditional ECG machines are larger and more complicated than these new portable devices. They require staff trained to operate the ECG to set them up and maintain them because they include a lot of connections, sensors, and intricate settings. Alternative equipment, such as portable real-time ECG monitors and adhesive biosensors, are easier to set up and use, even at the comfort of the patient’s home. These advancements have the potential to save hospitals millions of dollars each year, therefore they are worth the investment and research.

Takeaway

In today’s healthcare, continuous heart rate monitoring and immediate heartbeat detection are top priorities. Many CVDs can be better diagnosed, controlled, and prevented with continuous monitoring and analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Remote monitoring physiological signals such as ECG signals provides a new holistic paradigm for the assessment of CVDs, assisting in disease control and prevention. With advancements in sensor technology, communication infrastructure, data processing, modeling, and analytics algorithms, the risk of impairments could be addressed more effectively than ever before.