Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/447803
66 "In the United States, there are between 40,000 and 80,000, what we call, cardiac implanted electrical devices, that go in per year," Fuenzalida says. "So that means the number of people out there with these devices is pretty high, particularly as people get older." Implantable cardiac devices have been around in cruder forms since the late '50s. The ability for remote monitoring, however, is a fairly new technology and one that continues to evolve. HeaLTH care enaBLer Since receiving her AICD 10 years ago, Tappe has benefitted more than once from her remote monitor, CareLink, which she tucks behind her bed at home and brings along on trips. "CareLink now uses wireless technology. So, as I'm sleeping, it is reading the device, which gives me great peace of mind," Tappe says. "If anything were to happen, it would send an emergency reading to the on-call doctor at Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates." As the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association chair of the Board of Directors and a member of several SCA support groups, Tappe has heard numerous anecdotes about how home monitoring has saved lives and improved patient care. One friend was awakened in the night by a call from his cardiologist to tell him he was in heart failure and an ambulance was on the way. As he slept, his monitor had alerted the doctor, who quickly responded. There is a degree of fear and despair that accompanies a chronic heart condition, like SCA, and Tappe says monitors can make it feel a little less frightening. "I consider my ICD to be my EMS team in my chest and my CareLink to be my dispatcher. It's a true enabler of my health care," she says. Studies and clinical trials suggest remote monitoring will do its part to resolve some challenges facing health care by personalizing care, lightening patient loads, and managing chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. PoWer To THe PaTienT When Larry Ratcliff, 66, downloaded the iTriage app, he didn't expect much. "I got the app to humor my wife, who had read about it in a mobile home magazine. I didn't think we'd use it much," he says. His opinion changed late one night when his wife, Barbara, a diabetic, snagged her toenail — a potentially life-threatening injury for someone with her condition. Self-described snowbirds and RV enthusiasts, the couple travels to Florida each winter and crisscrosses the country throughout the year, and it's not always easy to find an in-network specialist on the road. "I used the iTriage app on my iPhone and looked for a podiatrist near our campground in Florida. At 2:38 a.m., I called Dr. Harris and left a message telling him we needed to see him immediately. We got a call from his office as soon as they opened, and two hours later, we saw the doctor. She got excellent care in a timely manner." Ratcliff says it's reassuring to have reliable health information at the couple's fingertips. In non- emergency situations, they use iTriage to look up medication information, check symptoms and get health news. Founded by two emergency medicine doctors, iTriage is a free mobile app and website that provides decision support tools to help answer two common "I consider my ICD to be my EMS team in my chest and my CareLink to be my dispatcher. It's a true enabler of my health care." - Mary Tappe, patient