Heart rhythm irregularities can lead to blood clots and increase the risk of stroke. It can increase the risk of stroke by more than five times [7], but it often goes undetected since it can be asymptomatic and may occur infrequently. Therefore, it is important to record the details of the irregularities especially in the days and weeks after therapy.
Philips ePatch offers a small unobtrusive sensor and patch adhered to the patient’s sternum for up to 14 days of continuous, high-quality ECG recording for reliable diagnosis [8]. Philips also provides an end-to-end service to support practices to deploy ePatch, enabling efficient workflows, enhancing the patient experience and providing robust data analysis using the company’s cloud-based AI-enabled Cardiologs software.
New research evaluating mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry (MCOT) as a first-line diagnostic home monitoring solution with post-cryptogenic stroke patients determined that a 30-day continuous monitoring program using Philips BioTel Heart MCOT® patch [9], followed by an implantable loop recorder (ILR), reduced the total cost per patient with detected AF by approximately $198,909 [10] compared to monitoring with ILR only. The model also demonstrated improving AF detection rates while reducing the risk of secondary stroke. This research strengthens recommendations for prolonged ECG monitoring for this patient population.
[1] World Stroke Organization
[2] Global Burden of Stroke, PubMed.
[3] U.S. National Stroke Association
[4] Neuhaus V, et al. Improvement of image quality in unenhanced dual-layer CT of the head using virtual monoenergetic images compared with polyenergetic single-energy CT. Invest Radiol. 2017;52(8):1. DOI: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000367.
[5] Gulko E, et al. Differentiation of hemorrhage from contrast enhancement using dual-layer spectral CT in patients transferred for acute stroke. Clin Imaging. 2021;69:75–78. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2020.06.046.
[6] We embrace the following formal definition of AI (source: HLEG definition AI)
[7] Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, et al. American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics-2021 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33501848/
[8] Patient will need to replace patch on day 5 of wear, or sooner as required
[9] Philips BioTel Heart MCOT® patch is only for sale in the U.S.
[10] Difference in cost per patient with detected AF monitored with ILR ($228,507) minus cost per patient with detected AF patients using the MCOT patch ($29,598). Medic G, Kotsopoulos N, Connolly MP, Lavelle J, Norlock V, Wadhwa M, Mohr BA, Derkac WM. Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry Patch vs Implantable Loop Recorder in Cryptogenic Stroke Patients in the US - Cost-Minimization Model. Med Devices (Auckl). 2021 Dec 18;14:445-458. doi: 10.2147/MDER.S337142. PMID: 34955658; PMCID: PMC8694406.