Telecardiology applied to a region-wide public emergency health-care service

Abstract

This first region-wide leading experience shows the feasibility and reliability of telecardiology applied to a public emergency health-care service. Telemedicine protocols would probably be useful in lowering the number of improper hospitalizations and shortening delay in the diagnosis process of some heart diseases.

Emissão de laudos eletrocardiográficos a distância: experiência da rede catarinense de telemedicina

“…A more frequent execution of tests in primary care facilities was expected and does meet the main goals of the tool, to bring the primary care closer to the secondary or tertiary care, thus reducing bottlenecks in the system and facilitating the urgent care of severely ill patients [6][7][8][9]17 . When the possibility of cardiovascular abnormality detected by the ECG report is evaluated, most tests showed some abnormality.…”

“…When coupled with a proper computing and telecommunications infrastructure, this methodology assists family physicians in the management of acute and chronic heart conditions. It enables the preferential treatment of high-risk patients and decreases unnecessary hospitalizations, which reduces bottlenecks in the health system and provides a better quality of life to the users 9,10 . 20,21 .…”

Prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in pre-hospital tele-cardiology electrocardiograms of emergency medical service patients referred for syncope

“…Pre-hospital ECG assessment with tele-medicine support of EMS patients may represent a reliable tool in avoiding wrong diagnosis and reducing delay to diagnosis, 7,8 identifying significant arrhythmias needing urgent hospitalization. In this study we therefore aimed to evaluate the prevalence of significant arrhythmias in EMS subjects referred for syncope, screened with pre-hospital ECG with tele-medicine support, potentially reducing the needing for ED cardiologic assessment.…”

Telemedicine for cardiovascular disease continuum: A position paper from the Italian Society of Cardiology Working Group on Telecardiology and Informatics

“…Transmission of a pre-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram directly to the attending cardiologist's mobile telephone decreased door-to-PCI time by N1 h when patients were transported directly to PCI centers, bypassing local hospitals [19]. Pre-hospital electrocardiographic diagnosis and direct referral for primary PCI enables STelevation acute myocardial infarction patients living far from a PCI center and in rural areas to achieve a system delay comparable with patients living in close vicinity of a PCI center [20][21][22]. Immediate on field electrocardiogram screening may lower the rates of false negative diagnosis in the case of ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction with atypical presentation [23].…”