What factors affect the relevance and benefits of telephonic ECG consultations in patients at high risk for ischemic heart disease events?
Telephonic ECG monitoring is feasible and can detect clinically important changes in high-risk patients, particularly those with recent chest pain or high baseline risk scores.
Telecardiology can identify patients with urgent problems requiring rapid assessment at the hospital or even emergency admission. Telemedicine applications in cardiology must identify factors that make the service most beneficial to the patients. The aim of the study was to analyze factors affecting relevance and benefits of telephonic electrocardiography (ECG) consultations. A transnational telephonic ECG system was established between Lithuania and Germany. Using a follow-up study design, clinical performance and beneficial factors for telecardiology were assessed. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 34 patients sent 329 ECGs with 14 ECG showing important clinical changes. Of the 329 ECGs only 263 (80%) ECGs were of acceptable quality for clinical interpretation. Most important factors associated with benefits from tele-ECG service were gender, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI), Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) risk stratification, and chest pain in previous month. Tele-ECG service of routine ECGs can be useful in recognition of silent ischemia or arrhythmias, and facilitating diagnosis. However, other factors such as chest pain in the previous month, gender, TIMI, and SCORE risk stratifications are important in planning tele-ECG services.
Vanagas et al. (Thu,) studied this question.