Key result
An estimated 120,941 patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and heart failure in Germany (63% of the total ICD population) were eligible for remote monitoring in 2022.
Why the study?
Contemporary data on the prevalence of patients with an ICD in Germany are lacking, and the prevalence of ICD patients with heart failure eligible for remote monitoring reimbursement under G-BA criteria was unknown.
Observational (n=190,698)
A large population of approximately 120,941 ICD patients in Germany is eligible for remote monitoring for heart failure, highlighting the need for adequate infrastructure and resources.
Supports infrastructure planning for remote HF monitoring in Germany; hypothesis-generating pending real-world validation.
BACKGROUND: In Germany, contemporary data on the prevalence of patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is lacking. Recently, ICD patients with heart failure (HF) fulfilling pre-defined criteria by the G-BA (Federal Joined Committee) are eligible for remote monitoring (RM) reimbursement. This investigation aims to evaluate the prevalence of HF patients with an ICD meeting these criteria. METHODS: Annual national quality assurance data from all German hospitals on newly implanted ICDs, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between 2010 and 2021 were obtained to build a prevalence model. The number of ICD patients eligible for RM was calculated by applying the main G-BA inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The ICD prevalence increased continuously from 2010 to 2017 (202.637 patients in 2017) and decreased with a lower rate until 2022. The model calculated an ICD prevalence of 190.698 patients in 2022 of which an estimated 120.941 ICD patients with HF were eligible for RM. This reflects approximately 63% of the actual total estimated ICD patient population in Germany. CONCLUSIONS: The model identified a large patient population currently eligible for RM. To our knowledge, this is the first study providing information on the size of this ICD patient population with HF in Germany. With only a fraction of eligible patients currently receiving RM, these findings may facilitate future planning, resource calculations and scale-up of RM. The building of a specific infrastructure focussing on efficient use of resources reflects a mandatory prerequisite for successful RM implementation.
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Schwab et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Heart failure with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) (n=190,698). Heart failure meeting G-BA criteria for remote monitoring was evaluated on Prevalence of ICD patients eligible for remote monitoring for heart failure in 2022. An estimated 120,941 patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and heart failure in Germany (63% of the total ICD population) were eligible for remote monitoring in 2022.
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