[Home Monitoring with implantable ICD--a diagnostic innovation?]

In recent years the rate of ICD implantation has grown substantially after the results of primary and secondary prevention trails have shown significant improvement in mortality and morbidity. However, the increasing number of patients with ICD indication leaves the implanting centres with large logistic problems, esp. with the number of follow-up visits. To further ensure high quality standard in therapy management new follow up routines have to be considered. Possible help may come with new methods of telecardiology, which are presently being introduced into clinical practice. Those systems differ in the way that they are capable to substitute a routine follow up and/ or deliver continuous diagnostic and device status information. Maybe the most promising solution is Home Monitoring in which the implant sends automatically daily messages with regard to therapy and ICD/CRT status without any cooperation of the patient. Interaction of the physician can be triggered by patient individual event filter. By utilizing this features in combination with event related IEGM Online Data physician are able to guide patients more effectively.