A study carried out at Imperial College London among patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust found that remote monitoring of patients who had recently had a heart attack had a significant effect on readmission.

The study involved a group of patients at Hammersmith Hospital who were considered to be at high risk of a second heart attack.

Half of the group has devices installed at home that allow them to send their vital signs if they experience worrying symptoms or request a remote consultation with a cardiology team, known as “telemedicine.” Ta. The other group of patients followed the usual treatment procedure of taking their medication and talking to their GP or going to hospital if they had any concerns.

In this study, patients who received telemedicine were 76% less likely to be readmitted within six months and 41% less likely to attend A&E compared to those who followed the usual care pathway. .

The findings suggest that remote monitoring could help address pressures on health systems around the world and reduce waiting lists in emergency departments and cardiac units.

The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in Atlanta. Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The group of patients who received telemedicine also had a 15% lower risk of having a repeat heart attack after nine months and had fewer unplanned surgical procedures on the blood vessels of the heart. Stroke rates were also lower in the telemedicine group.

Approximately 100,000 people are admitted to hospital each year in the UK due to heart attacks. Approximately 15% of patients admitted to hospital with a heart attack in the UK are readmitted as an emergency admission within 30 days of being discharged.

Using telemedicine, cardiologists are now able to assess patients before they arrive and determine whether an A&E visit is necessary. Even for patients who were readmitted, the average length of stay was half a day, much shorter than the average stay of one and a half days for the standard-of-care group.

The data also showed that patients who received telemedicine were less likely to report symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Dr Ramzi Khamis, Consultant Cardiologist and BHF Research Fellow at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, said: “The approach we have designed and tested saves valuable time and resources while providing a high level of information. We are focused on providing an informed treatment plan.” This study clearly showed that transmitting critical information directly to the cardiology team and consultation apparently leads to better treatment, hospital stays, average length of stay and fewer A&E attendances. ”

“This simple strategy has the potential to free up thousands of hospital beds and doctor time across the country, while ensuring patient safety. We are currently working with the NHS and other health systems around the world to We look forward to working together to adopt this strategy and hopefully improve patient care.” Dear future patients. ”

The study was led by principal investigator Dr Ramzi Khamis and clinical research fellow Nasser Alshahrani at Imperial College, London, and involved patients presenting to Hammersmith Hospital with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) over a 15-month period. 337 patients participated.

Acute coronary syndromes are a group of life-threatening conditions that involve reduced blood flow to the heart and can lead to a heart attack or unstable angina (a more severe form of angina that can occur at rest and does not improve with rest or drugs). heart disease), etc. The majority of study participants (86%) were male, reflecting the demographics of patients presenting to the Heart and Stroke Center at Hammersmith Hospital with ACS during the study.

Patients in this study were randomly assigned to receive telemedicine or standard care. The 163 patients in the telemedicine group were provided with a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen levels. Subjects were also given a state-of-the-art 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) belt device to record detailed heart rhythm traces and send them to a team of experts for review. They were trained on how to use each to easily measure vital signs.

The 167 patients who received standard treatment were discharged with medication and asked to go to a doctor or hospital if they developed heart symptoms.

Telemedicine patients were instructed to send vital data to the study team if they experienced symptoms of potential heart disease. A cardiologist then contacted them to conduct a remote clinical assessment.

The severity of a patient’s condition was assessed using rules developed by the research team, and patients were either reassured, offered non-urgent follow-up, or advised to go to A&E or call 999.

Professor James Leiper, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said: “The findings of this study are extremely encouraging and provide a huge boost to the NHS at a time when hundreds of thousands of people are waiting for urgent heart tests, treatment and treatment. “This could potentially relieve some of the current pressure.” The findings suggest that telemedicine may play an important role in freeing up hospital time and space while maintaining safety and improving outcomes for at-risk patients. .

“It is important that the NHS has adequately trained and supported staff to implement this approach and the tools to identify and target the right patients. For clinicians, telemedicine is It can be a valuable tool to bring real improvement to patients during difficult times’ in their lives. ”