Lars Grieten*, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Jan Vercammen, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Koen Rondelez, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, genk, Belgium Marc Remels, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Maximo Rivero-ayerzo, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Philip De Vusser, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Hugo Van Herendael, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Wilfried Mullens, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Pieter Vandervoort, Department of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium Track: Practice Presentation Topic: other Presentation Type: Poster presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Last modified: 2012-09-16

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In the Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg (ZOL) telemonitoring is used for remote follow up of Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICD) since 2007. In 2010 a formal clinical call center was started in our hospital to expand active telemonitoring services from simple device management to remote disease management, focusing on heart failure patients (HF) with an implanted cardiac resynchronization device (Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Biotronik and St. Jude Medical). These devices have telemonitoring capabilities to transmit both device parameters and certain physiological (disease) parameters (cardiac rhythm, physical activity, thoracic impedance) to a dedicated web client. Our center is one of the largest telemonitoring centers in the country monitoring approximately 20% of all patients currently in active telemonitoring follow up in Belgium.
Up till now all analysis data obtained from these devices, both during in clinic follow up as well as during remote monitoring, are captured and stored in a very primitive and fragmented way, most often on a single paper print-out. Integration of all device parameters into the electronic medical record (EMR) is necessary to use telemonitoring data in daily clinical practice. Therefore we started a collaborative program with device manufacturers to transfer all devices parameters digitally into the hospital medical record (MediWeb/Medar, Agfa Healthcare) using HL7 communication standards. We decided not only to transfer the full device analysis reports in a .pdf-format but also a selection of the most clinically relevant parameters in numerical format. Data obtained at implantation or during in clinic visits as well as data from remote monitoring are transferred digitally into the EMR. The integration of St Jude data has been realized since 2009 and remote data since 2010. In-clinic data from Biotronik is being digitally transferred since 2011. In 2012 we have realized transfer of Boston Scientific and Medtronic device data. At this moment we completed 70% of the connectivity matrix and plan to reach a complete 100% integration of all in-clinic as well as telemonitoring data for all device companies by the end of the year.
Digital integration of device parameters in the electronic medical record will improve significantly the quality of care delivered to patients with cardiac implant devices, and facilitates communication with referring cardiologists and family physicians. The numerical data format allows for easier viewing of multiple datasets over time including graphical representation. Our hospital is the first in Europe to realize this level of integration of device parameters and telemonitoring data in the electronic medical record.