Feasibility evaluation of a remote monitoring system for implantable cardiac devices in Japan.

The number of implanted cardiac devices has been growing steadily over the last several years. Systems to monitor device data remotely have been introduced with the goal of reducing follow-up burden for both patients and physicians. Since the introduction of telemedicine depends greatly on the situations that are unique to each country, the acceptance of cardiac device remote monitoring in Japan was analyzed.A total of 203 patients who had previously undergone cardiac device implantation were enrolled. The subjects were provided with a CareLink Monitor that performed interrogation and transmission of device data at home, and then the physicians reviewed the data via a website at one and 3 months after baseline visits. A total of 470 transmissions were made. Questionnaires were completed by subjects and physicians to evaluate acceptance, ease of use, and satisfaction with the system. More than 87% of the subjects felt the Monitor was easy to use and nearly all of the physicians were satisfied with the system. A majority of patients felt reassured by having their devices assessed from a remote location and preferred the decreased number of clinic visits that were possible when using the Monitor. The patients spent an average of 168.2 minutes per clinic visit, whereas follow-up time was reduced to 13.0 minutes by remote monitoring. Physician consultation time was reduced by 2.7 minutes.The CareLink Network was well accepted by both the patients and physicians. Underlying issues did emerge, but once they are overcome, the system appears to have great potential to improve the quality of care given by healthcare providers.