How Does My Wireless Monitor Work?

by Rebecca N. Revell, RN, BSN, CCDS

Manufacturers of implanted cardiac device have tried to make remote monitoring more convenient for patients and caregivers by automating data transfer. Most implanted devices now offer this automatic monitoring through either radiofrequency transmitters (RF) or Bluetooth technology embedded in the cardiac device. These devices are referred to as ‘wireless’ devices, and they have been shown to improve the connection between patients and their cardiology offices.

Wireless devices can make a connection with your paired home monitor, typically at night while you are sleeping. For this connection to occur, your home monitor must first be paired with your implanted cardiac device. After this one-time set-up, the monitor must remain plugged in to power within 4-10 feet of where you sleep at night. Some home monitors may also require a phone line, cellular adapter, or ethernet adapter to be plugged in as well, to send the data to your clinic.

During the nightly automatic connection, your implanted cardiac device sends any device-related or heart rhythm-related alerts to your cardiologist. This can include information about your device’s battery status, prolonged abnormal heart rhythms, and device or lead malfunction. If your doctor’s office has scheduled a full remote check-up, this also occurs during the nightly automatic connection. There is no need to interact with the home monitor unless instructed by your doctor or device clinic.

Some important information for patients with wireless devices includes:

1. Your home monitor does not indicate to you if your results are abnormal. All questions about your remote transmission results should be addressed by your doctor’s office.
2. Your home monitor may not indicate to you if it is disconnected from the network. If your doctor’s office works with PaceMate as their remote monitoring partner, PaceMate will call you to help if your monitor disconnects.
3. If you manually send an extra remote transmission outside of your routine schedule, it is important to call your doctor’s office and let them know. Extra remote transmissions may be sent if you are not feeling well or if you suspect something is wrong. Notifying your doctor that you transmitted and sharing any symptoms that prompted the transmission will help them to prioritize your transmission.
4. If your phone number changes, please notify PaceMate and your doctor’s office to ensure you continue to receive calls from us.

To learn if your device is wireless or non-wireless, or how to pair, connect, and troubleshoot your wireless monitor, use this PaceMate website LINK to find your specific remote monitoring equipment user guide and manufacturer manual.

Find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about remote monitoring and how it works HERE. You can also access live support Monday – Friday 8 AM-7 PM through our Patient Support Line at 66-PACEMATE Option 1.