eCardio Announces Publication of Manuscript on The Use of Mobile Cardiac Telemetry to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy and Enable More Efficient Patient Care

HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- eCardio Diagnostics (www.ecardio.com), a leading provider of remote cardiac arrhythmia monitoring, today announced the acceptance for publication of the manuscript titled, "The Use of Mobile Cardiac Telemetry to Improve Diagnostic Accuracy and Enable More Efficient Patient Care." The article appears in the Arrhythmia Section of US Cardiology journal's February issue and is currently available online (http://www.touchcardiology.com/articles/use-mobile-cardiac-telemetry-improve-diagnostic-accuracy-and-enable-more-efficient-patient-).

The manuscript's lead author, Steven Zweibel, MD, FACC, FHRS, wrote that even though mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT) is a relatively new technology (first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2002), the use of it has been proven to provide superior diagnostic capability for patients with palpitations, syncope, and pre-syncope because it allows for detection of both symptomatic and asymptomatic arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Dr. Zweibel is Director of Electrophysiology at Hartford Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine for the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

The article references a specific patient case study of a 56-year-old male with a history of palpitations with documented runs of both supraventricular tachycardia and AFib. Because the MCT monitor provides specific documentation on the initiation and termination of arrhythmias, Dr. Zweibel received the clinical detail he needed for diagnosing the patient, and he was able to determine that invasive procedures or medication trials would be unnecessary.

"We're thrilled to have such a well-respected electrophysiologist reaffirming the superior clinical benefits of MCT monitors as a cost-effective diagnostic alternative to other available technologies," said Larry Lawson, President and Chief Executive Officer of eCardio Diagnostics. 

"I also believe nationwide insurance carriers will find additional value in documented patient case studies such as Dr. Zweibel's study," said Lawson. "Moving forward, and in the context of total patient healthcare, I hope more insurance carriers will view MCT technology as a cost-conscious way to enable superior member outcomes."

Additionally, Dr. Zweibel stated that the benefits of the MCT monitor were strengthened further through the use of eCardio's uniquely designed Academic Medicine Site (AMS). AMS enables physicians to see data quickly, be alerted to critical and serious heart rhythms, and view reports at any time of day.

According to Paul Minardi, eCardio's Vice President of Academic Medicine, AMS can be configured to the needs of each academic institution or teaching hospital based on their workflow. With AMS, they can track fellowship participation, gain confirmation from attending physicians, regenerate reports and time/date stamp each study with the user's credentials, while allowing for a code of Federal Regulations 21 part 11, HIPAA-compliant electronic signature to be placed on studies.

Minardi said, "We launched eCardio with the belief that physicians needed flexibility, speed and accuracy not only with regards to the devices monitoring their patients, but also from the standpoint of how they would receive information on those patients throughout their studies and maintain that data within their own electronic medical records."

AMS can be provided as a stand-alone tool or customized to work with a variety of EMR systems, and it is continually enhanced as feedback is gained from thousands of end users.

About eCardio
eCardio Diagnostics, LLC (www.ecardio.com), is one of the nation's leading providers of comprehensive and advanced technologies, devices, services and solutions for the diagnosis, monitoring and subsequent clinical management of cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly in an ambulatory setting.  eCardio provides leading-edge diagnostic innovations and solutions that optimize the flexibility, speed and accuracy of cardiac arrhythmia diagnoses.

About Hartford Hospital
Hartford Hospital, founded in 1854, is one of the largest teaching hospitals and tertiary care centers in New England with one of the region's busiest surgery practices. It is annually ranked among America's Best Hospitals by US News & World Report and has been recognized nationally for the quality of many of its programs, including cardiology, cancer, stroke and joint and spine care. The 867-bed regional referral center provides high-quality care in all clinical disciplines. Among its divisions is The Institute of Living, a 114-bed mental health facility with a national and international reputation of excellence. Jefferson House, a 104-bed long-term care facility, is also a special division of Hartford Hospital. The hospital's major centers of clinical excellence include cardiology, oncology, emergency services and trauma, mental health, women's health, orthopedics, bloodless surgery and advanced organ transplantation. Hartford Hospital owns and operates the state's only air ambulance system, LIFE STAR.

About US Cardiology
US Cardiology (http://www.touchcardiology.com/journals/us-cardiology) is a peer-reviewed bi-annual journal comprising review articles, case reports, practice guides, theoretical discussions, and original research. It features balanced and comprehensive articles written by leading authorities, addressing the most important and salient developments in the field of cardiology.

SOURCE eCardio