Cardiac patient Peter Caden says participating in Red Deer’s Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device remote-monitoring program has given him peace of mind.
Caden, 66, who first experienced heart failure 10 years ago, was one of the first to enroll in the award-winning program when it started up in Alberta Health Services Central Zone in 2016.
Red Deer’s Caden had a cardio defibrillator implanted in 2012 for his rapid heart rate and irregular heartbeat. His implanted device provides continuous monitoring and will give him a shock if his heart beats outside of set parameters.
Over the years and after many appointments, the origin of Caden’s condition remains a mystery, but his care now includes the security and support of the remote-monitoring program and the Red Deer Cardiac Device Clinic Team.
The team is part of a larger, provincial team involved in remotely monitoring patients who have cardiac implants such as pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators. The group was recently awarded the 2021 Health Promotion and Advocacy Excellence Award in Cardiovascular Nursing by the Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses.
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With the Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device remote-monitoring program, individuals have a device at home that they hold over their heart to read the signals of the implanted device to transmit the information to clinicians.
The transmission allows patients to avoid driving — sometimes long distances — to in-person clinic visits. It also gives them the comfort of knowing they can get help right away if they need it.
“If there’s anything irregular about the heartbeat, rather than wait for an appointment, you can share that data with the clinic in real time. When minutes count, that’s critical,” Caden said.
James Morton, clinical lead of the Red Deer Cardiac Device Clinic, said that a dangerous arrhythmia can be life-threatening.
“It’s about patient safety because if there’s a problem with the system, or a patient receives a shock from the defibrillator, we are automatically notified about those happening. Without remote monitoring you wouldn’t know until something catastrophic happened,” Morton said.
AHS said remote monitoring has also been beneficial during the pandemic, as transmission of data from the home mitigates the infection risk of in-person visits.
For his part, Caden said he’s pleased to be part of the program.
“This has been groundbreaking for central Alberta. Caregivers get real-time, remote data to work with and can respond accordingly. Ultimately, these devices save time, money and lives.”