Patients with Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices in the Era of COVID-19 and Their Response to Telemedical Solutions.

Background and objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the healthcare system, leading to the rapid implementation of telemedical solutions, especially in cardiology. The aim of this survey was to evaluate the patients (pts) with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) perspectives on the telemedicine elements such as teleconsultation, telemonitoring, and e-prescription. Materials and methods: An anonymous questionnaire was created and delivered to CIED pts who came to the ambulatory outpatient clinic. In this survey, we evaluated teleconsultation, home monitoring systems, and e-prescription in the 17 single-choice and multiple-choice questions and a rating on a scale of 0 to 10. Results: During the four-month period, 226 pts (58% male) completed the questionnaire. Regular visits were most frequent in pts living in the urban area where the clinic was located, and least frequent in those living in rural areas (p = 0.0158). Moreover, 89 pts (39%) had teleconsultation before CIED interrogation, and satisfaction was 99%; 24 pts (11%) had home-monitoring control and 135 pts (60%) would have liked to have this opportunity; 88 pts (34.5%) would be able to pay additional costs for home-monitoring, with a mean amount of 65 PLN (±68.24). The e-prescription system was used by 203 pts (90%), and it was evaluated with 8.6 points (±2) on a scale from 0 to 10 points. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the previous functioning of the health system, and telemedicine became an alternative to traditional ambulatory visits and proved to be essential in the continuity of patient care. There is a substantial need for further development of telemedicine solutions in the healthcare system.

Telephone follow-up of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: early results.

BACKGROUND: In the midst of the SARS­CoV­2 pandemic, basic healthcare challenges arise as lockdowns and social isolation are implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. In order to overcome these challenges, the Polish National Health Fund has facilitated telemedical consultations. AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare teleconsultations with regular visits at ambulatory clinic of implantable devices and to assess whether teleconsultations would be an adequate replacement during times of limited face­to­face contact. METHODS: Teleconsultations in the clinic were introduced for patients without the possibility of remote control of cardiac implantable electronic devices. Prior to planned visits, physicians phoned patients and interviewed them about their health. Further treatment decisions were made based on the interview and available medical records. RESULTS: Teleconsultations were carried out over 3.5 weeks (March 13 to April 1, 2020). Out of 400 patients who had visits planned at the clinic, 349 were consulted by phone. A total of 299 patients confirmed stable health status, 14 reported some symptoms, and 4 were hospitalized; 2 patients changed their primary clinic and were no longer under our care, 1 was undergoing quarantine, 15 required additional intervention, and 15 had died prior to contact. In general, patients gave positive feedback on their teleconsultations. CONCLUSIONS: Teleconsultations are a much­needed option during the SARS­CoV­2 pandemic. They are an effective way to decrease interpersonal contact and to overcome sudden changes to the ambulatory visit plan, which may otherwise put an overwhelming burden on the clinic.