Remote management in patients with heart failure (from new onset to advanced): A practical guide

Heart failure is a chronic condition that affects millions of people worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Remote monitoring, which includes the use of non-invasive connected devices, cardiac implantable electronic devices and haemodynamic monitoring systems, has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with heart failure. Despite the conceptual and clinical advantages, there are still limitations in the widespread use of these technologies. Moreover, a significant proportion of studies evaluating the benefit of remote monitoring in heart failure have focused on the limited area of prevention of rehospitalization after an episode of acute heart failure. A group of experts in the fields of heart failure and digital health worked on this topic in order to provide a practical paper for the use of remote monitoring in clinical practice at the different stages of the heart failure syndrome: (1) discovery of heart failure; (2) acute decompensation of chronic heart failure; (3) heart failure in stable period; and (4) advanced heart failure. A careful and critical analysis of the available literature was performed with the aim of providing caregivers with some recommendations on when and how to use remote monitoring in these different situations, specifying which variables are essential, optional or useless.