New study validates ambulatory monitoring as a critical component of cardiac care

With expanding access and more patients eligible for TAVR, the number of procedures performed is expected to rise significantly. In the U.S. alone, the rate of treatment increased from 6,481 in 2012 to 73,411 in 2019 [3] [4] [5]. However, patients can experience complications for days or weeks after being discharged, which may lead to readmission to the hospital or even death. This makes post-acute monitoring a crucial element to help ensure optimal patient outcomes following the procedure

That’s where ambulatory cardiac monitoring services, such as Philips MCOT (Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry), come in. It continuously analyzes the cardiac rhythm and transmit critical findings, allowing for near real-time detection of clinically significant arrhythmias that may occur with TAVR patients after discharge. To help provide proactive care and improve outcomes, many hospitals have begun to leverage the MCOT patch system technology to monitor for significant arrhythmias beyond the confines of the hospital. As TAVR numbers continue to climb, there is a greater need to understand how these strategies impact patient outcomes and the costs associated with the procedure.

“Ambulatory monitoring has become a critical component of cardiac care. This new research validates that Philips MCOT is crucial in detecting arrhythmias and providing data that allows care teams to work quickly and act decisively to provide the best patient treatment,” said Andy Broadway, General Manager of Ambulatory Monitoring and Diagnostics at Philips. “There is value in identifying the moment a patient’s condition begins to change and that value is extended even further when the approach achieves all aspects of the Quadruple Aim in healthcare.”

When evaluating cost, Philips MCOT was also associated with significantly lower hospital costs, fewer TAVR patient admissions and improved hospital contribution margins. Even with the increased rate of pacemaker insertion in the MCOT group, there was no observed impact on costs in the 60-day period post-TAVR, suggesting that MCOT provides an opportunity to improve patient care without afflicting greater cost to the hospital or payer [6].

The results from this study and others evaluating the impact of remote monitoring technology play an important role in shaping the standards of care in place today, particularly as clinicians, hospitals, and policymakers continue to look for opportunities to balance the delivery of high-quality care while managing costs.

In another recent Philips study, researchers evaluated MCOT as a first-line diagnostic ambulatory monitoring solution with post-cryptogenic stroke patients and produced similar findings, further supporting MCOT’s value as it relates to cost benefits and improved patient outcomes. The study determined that a 30-day continuous monitoring program using the Philips MCOT, followed by an implantable loop recorder (ILR), improved atrial fibrillation detection rates and helped to reduce secondary stroke risk – validating the approach as an effective standard of care for cryptogenic stroke patients.