EDGEWOOD, Ky. – St. Elizabeth Edgewood has become the first U.S. hospital to implant a Bluetooth-enabled biventricular implantable cardiac defibrillator within a patient – the Abbott Gallant.
“This next-generation device communicates wirelessly to the patient’s physician and also lets patients access information about the device using an app on a smartphone,” said Dr. Mohamad Sinno, a cardiac electrophysiologist with the St. Elizabeth Heart and Vascular Institute, in a statement.
Research shows that better patient engagement and compliance with monitoring reduces hospitalizations, ensures better clinical outcomes, and improves survival. Smartphone connectivity is expected to achieve these objectives by improving patient remote monitoring rates and patient engagement in remote monitoring.
The solution pairs with Abbott’s myMerlinPulse, an iOS- and Android-compatible mobile smartphone app that streamlines communication between doctors and patients. With the app, patients can access their data, device performance, and transmission history. Physicians can use the app to monitor patients remotely and identify asymptomatic episodes and patient-triggered transmissions. This enables early intervention and reduces the clinical burden.
It also offers more flexibility than traditional bedside monitors, and enables easy transmission of data mutually. Access to device status such as battery longevity is done in a cyber secure mode with enabled two-way authentication.
The solution recently was approved by the FDA for a new technology assessment. It will only be available in a few centers across the U.S. during its assessment phase.
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