Device Clinic Management—Part 2: The Complexities of Remote Monitoring Scheduling

by Rebecca N. Revell, RN, BSN, CCDS, PaceMate™ Director of Patient Communications, and Robin Leahy, MSPH, BSN, RN, FHRS, CCDS, PaceMate™VP of Customer Experience

Scheduled Remote Transmissions

Remote monitoring of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is the standard of care for this vulnerable population. Home-based monitoring has been shown to result in improved clinical outcomes and has reduced the need for higher-level healthcare. Organized remote monitoring programs contribute to effective patient, device, and disease management and can also enhance revenue for the device clinic.

To realize these clinical benefits and revenue-generating aspects of remote monitoring, wireless devices require remote transmission schedules. These schedules are generally set via the manufacturers’ websites as either one-time or repeated occurrences. Dates selected are then communicated to the implanted device wirelessly through the monitor’s network connection, triggering the occurrence of a scheduled transmission.

Challenges in Remote Scheduling

Remote scheduling is a useful and necessary tool in remote monitoring. However, the practical nuances of scheduling can prove to be a barrier to successful adoption.

• Each manufacturer has multiple monitoring options available.
• Each implanted device family interacts with the portfolio of transmitters and monitors differently.
• Within device families, some wireless platforms perform differently.
• While each manufacturer has remote scheduling capabilities available online, manufacturers do not assist clinics in setting or maintaining remote schedules.
• Remote schedule variance can negatively impact clinic billing cycles.

PaceMate™ Support

An intuitive protocol for remote monitoring scheduling is one that understands the intricacies of the various platforms. At PaceMate™our state-of-the-art technology and powerful EHR integration support remote scheduling. Enhanced by our dedicated team of patient communication specialists, our service helps cardiac practices maximize the clinical and monetary potential of well-run remote device monitoring services.