BIOTRONIK has presented an economic model that highlights the healthcare burden that arise due to follow- up requirements with pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) etc. for patients in Germany and UK at the International Society for Pharmaeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), which was held on 6 November.
biotronik cardiomesenger
The economic model was presented in the form of posters that provide insight into the economic impact of following up health monitoring devices.
A doctor at the Lukas Hospital pointed out that the demand for follow-up services has been on the increase and hence poses to be a huge burden on cardiology service providers. He added that monitoring services like the BIOTRONIK home monitoring system comes as a relief to these service providers by cutting down the in-office follow ups by a margin of 45%. Such systems also contribute to increasing the safety of the patients by enabling timely detection of criticalities. It is estimated that in Germany the amount of money spent on routine CIED follow ups will reach nearly EUR142 million in the year 2015. And on the other hand by avoiding in-office follow ups for patients, an amount of EUR44 million can be saved. In case of the costs in the UK, the in-office follow ups cost will stand at EUR43 million by the year 2015. And the savings that would result from avoiding these follow up visits will be EUR13 million in 2015. Physicians are of the opinion that with more and more hospitals and health care centers opting for BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring systems, the increasing costs will be curtailed and will also ensure patient safety. Use of this technology is much more effective and accurate when compared to traditional methods of follow ups. Moreover, medical personnel will be able to focus their attention more on attending to critical CIED patients, who will need immediate action rather than those who do not require any immediate action. In a nutshell by using home monitoring systems, physicians are in a better position to care for patients with implantable electronic cardiac devices.