Abstract 286: Clinic Time Required To Manage Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Patients: A Time And Motion Workflow Evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Biundo ◽  
Alan Burke ◽  
Sarah C Rosemas ◽  
David Lanctin ◽  
Emmanuelle Nicolle

Background: The number of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is growing, creating workload for device clinics to manage this population. Remote monitoring of CIED patients is a guidelines-recommended method for optimizing treatment in CIED patients in combination with in-person follow-up. However, the specific steps involved in CIED management, as well as the HCP time required for these activities, are not well understood. The aim of this study was to quantify the clinic staff time requirements associated with the remote and in-person management of CIED patients. Methods: A time and motion workflow evaluation was performed in 6 U.S. CIED clinics. Participating clinics manage an average of 4,217 (range: 870-10,336) CIED patients. The duration of each task involved in CIED management was repeatedly timed, for all device models/manufacturers, during one business week (5 days) of observation at each clinic. Mean time for review of a remote transmission and for an in-person clinic visit were calculated, including all clinical and administrative (e.g., scheduling, documentation) activities related to the encounter. Annual staff time (inclusive of all clinical and administrative staff) for follow-up of 1 CIED patient was modeled using device transmission data for the 6 clinics, clinical guidelines for CIED follow-up, and published literature (Table 1). Results: During 6 total weeks of data collection, 124 in-person clinic visits and 1,374 remote transmission review activities were observed and measured. On average, the total staff time required per remote transmission ranged from 11.9-13.5 minutes (depending on the CIED type), and time per in-person visit ranged from 43.4-51.0 minutes. Including all remote and in-person follow-ups, the estimated total staff time per year to manage one Pacemaker, ICD, CRT, and ICM patient was 2.3, 2.4, 2.4, and 9.3 hours, respectively. Conclusion: CIED patient management workflow is complex and requires significant staff time in cardiac device clinics. Remote monitoring is an efficient complement for in-office visits, allowing for continuous follow-up of patients with reduced staff time required per device check. Future research should examine heterogeneity in patient management processes to identify the most efficient workflow.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Biundo ◽  
A Burke ◽  
S Rosemas ◽  
D Lanctin ◽  
E Nicolle

Abstract Background The population with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is growing, creating workload for device clinics to manage these patients. However, the CIED follow-up workflow is poorly understood. This study sought to characterize the workflow and staff time for CIED patient management. Methods A time and motion workflow evaluation was performed in 6 U.S. CIED clinics, which manage an average of 4,217 patients. Each task involved in CIED management was repeatedly timed, including all manufacturers, during 1 business week at each clinic. Mean staff time for a remote transmission and an in-person visit were calculated, including all clinical and administrative (e.g: scheduling, documentation) activities related to the encounter. Annual staff time for follow-up of 1 patient was modeled using CIED transmission data for the 6 clinics, guidelines for CIED follow-up, and published literature. Results 124 clinic visits and 1,374 remote monitoring activities were observed. Staff time required per remote transmission ranged from 12.1–13.4 minutes (depending on the CIED type), and time per visit was 43.4–51.0 minutes. Including all remote and in-person follow-ups, the estimated total staff time per year to manage one pacemaker, ICD, CRT, and ICM patient was 2.3, 2.4, 2.4, and 9.3 hours, respectively (Table 1). Conclusion CIED clinic workflow is complex and requires significant staff time. Remote monitoring is an efficient complement to in-office visits, allowing for continuous follow-up of patients. Future research should examine heterogeneity in clinic processes to identify the most efficient workflow. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Medtronic


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lanctin ◽  
Eliana Biundo ◽  
Marco Di Bacco ◽  
Sarah Rosemas ◽  
Emmanuelle Nicolle ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The number of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is growing, creating substantial workload for device clinics. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to characterize the workflow and quantify clinic staff time requirements to manage CIED patients. METHODS A time and motion workflow evaluation was performed in 11 US and European CIED clinics. Workflow tasks were repeatedly timed during one business week of observation at each clinic. Observations were inclusive of all device models/manufacturers present. Mean cumulative staff time required to review a Remote device transmission and for an In-person clinic visit were calculated, including all necessary clinical and administrative tasks. Annual staff time for follow-up of 1 CIED patient was modeled using CIED transmission volumes, clinical guidelines, and published literature. RESULTS A total of 276 in-person clinic visits and 2,173 remote monitoring activities were observed. Mean staff time required per remote transmission ranged from 9.4-13.5 minutes for therapeutic devices (pacemaker, ICD, CRT) and 11.3-12.9 mins for diagnostic devices (insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs)). Mean staff time per in-person visit ranged from 37.8-51.0 mins and 39.9-45.8 mins, for therapeutic devices and ICMs respectively. Including all remote and in-person follow-ups, the estimated annual time to manage one CIED patient ranged from 1.6-2.4 hours for therapeutic devices and 7.7-9.3 hours for ICMs. CONCLUSIONS CIED patient management workflow is complex and requires significant staff time. Understanding process steps and time requirements informs implementation of efficiency improvements, including remote solutions. Future research should examine the heterogeneity in patient management processes to identify the most efficient workflows.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Biundo ◽  
Juliette Hennion ◽  
Sarah C Rosemas ◽  
David Lanctin ◽  
Emmanuelle Nicolle

Introduction: Remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) patients is guideline-recommended standard of care alongside in-office follow-up. However, overall workload requirements for device management are not well understood, which may hinder implementation of optimal follow-up strategies including remote solutions. This study sought to characterize processes and clinic staff time required for remote and in-person device follow-up of a CIED patient. Methods: A time and motion workflow evaluation was performed in 11 CIED clinics: 6 US; 5 Europe (UK, France, Germany). Participating clinics manage an average of 5,758 (range: 870-22,000) CIED patients. The duration of each CIED management task was repeatedly timed during 1 business week (5 days) of observation at each clinic. All device models/manufacturers were included. Mean staff time for a remote transmission and an in-person clinic visit were calculated, including clinical and administrative tasks. Annual staff time for follow-up of 1 CIED patient was modeled using data on CIED transmission volume, clinical guidelines, and published literature. Results: A total of 276 in-person clinic visits and 2,173 RM activities were observed. Mean staff time required per remote transmission ranged from 9.4-13.5 minutes for therapeutic devices, and 11.3-12.9 mins for insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs), while staff time per in-person visit ranged from 37.8-51.0 mins and 39.9-45.8 mins, respectively (Table 1). The estimated annual time to manage one therapeutic device patient was lower (1.6-2.4 hours) than an ICM patient (7.7-9.3 hours), due to fewer device follow-ups. Conclusions: RM allows for efficient and continuous care as a complement to in-person follow-up. However, overall CIED patient follow-up requires considerable staff time. These data should be considered in addressing barriers to RM adoption, such as challenges in workflow implementation and inconsistent reimbursement.


EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Nicolle ◽  
D Lanctin ◽  
S Rosemas ◽  
M De Melis

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Medtronic Background Remote monitoring is guideline-recommended to manage cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) patients. With the continuous growth of implanted patients, clinic workload to review transmissions is increasing. Outsourcing initial data review and triage to an external monitoring center could be a valuable option for more efficient allocation of staff time, as high-skilled healthcare professionals can focus on patients in need rather than non-actionable data. Purpose The objective was to estimate the potential clinic staff time saved when outsourcing part of remote transmission review. Methods A previous time and motion evaluation described workflow tasks and time required for remote transmission review (4 EU sites, 674 observations). From real-world experience with a third-party monitoring service, the steps that can be outsourced were determined considering existing clinic-driven protocols for triage and transmission escalation. Staff time required with and without the monitoring service was thus modeled and compared. Results Outsourcing to an external monitoring center can reduce clinic staff time between 77.4% and 84.7% depending on device type. Absolute time savings range from 32.7 to 82.6 hours per year per 100 patients for therapeutic devices, and 301.3 hours for insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) patients, due to the higher frequency of transmissions in diagnostic devices. Conclusion Time to review remote transmissions can become overwhelming for clinics as growing CIED population often outpaces available staffing resources. Outsourcing initial review and triage to an external monitoring center (ensuring quality and regulatory compliance) can be an efficient option to save dedicated staff and facility time for other crucial healthcare activities. Clinic Staff Time Savings Per YearPacemakerICDCRTICMTRANSMISSIONS PER PATIENT PER YEARGreen (no further review required when outsourcing)3.04.35.020.8Yellow/Red (medical action/decision required)0.60.80.93.8ANNUAL STAFF TIME PER PATIENT, minutesNo outsourcing25.346.658.5219.7Outsourcing to monitoring center5.77.78.938.9ANNUAL STAFF TIME PER 100 PATIENTS, hoursNo outsourcing42.277.697.4366.2Outsourcing to monitoring center9.612.914.964.8TIME SAVED PER 100 PATIENTS, hours (%)32.7 (77.4%)64.7 (83.4%)82.6 (84.7%)301.3 (82.3%)Abstract Figure. Outsourcing Remote Transmission Review


EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharath Kumar ◽  
Jason Davis ◽  
Bernard Thibault ◽  
Iqwal Mangat ◽  
Benoit Coutu ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Cardiac implantable electronic devices with device advisories have the potential of device malfunction. Remote monitoring (RM) of devices has been suggested to allow the identification of abnormal device performance and permit early intervention. We sought to describe the outcomes of patients with and without RM in devices subject to the Abbott Premature Battery Depletion (PBD) advisory with data from a Canadian registry. Methods and results Patients with an Abbott device subject to the PBD advisory from nine implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implanting centres in Canada were included in the registry. The use of RM was identified from baseline and follow-up data in the registry. The primary outcome was detection of PBD and all-cause mortality. A total of 2666 patients were identified with a device subject to the advisory. In all, 1687 patients (63.2%) had RM at baseline. There were 487 deaths during follow-up. At a mean follow-up of 5.7 ± 0.7 years, mortality was higher in those without a remote monitor compared with RM at baseline (24.7% vs. 14.5%; P < 0.001). Pre-mature battery depletion was identified in 36 patients (2.1%) with RM vs. 7 (0.7%) without RM (P = 0.004). Time to battery replacement was significantly reduced in patients on RM (median 5 vs. 13 days, P = 0.001). Conclusion The use of RM in patients with ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy under advisory improved detection of PBD, time to device replacement, and was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality. The factors influencing the association with mortality are unknown and deserve further study.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. S357-S358
Author(s):  
J. Forman ◽  
S. Flavelle ◽  
O. Van Breemen ◽  
E. Hahn ◽  
C. McIlroy ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Davis ◽  
B Thibault ◽  
I Mangat ◽  
B Coutu ◽  
M Bennett ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cardiac implantable electronic devices have been known to have lead and device malfunctions leading to advisories. Increased use of remote monitoring of devices has been suggested to allow the identification of abnormal device performance and allow early intervention. We sought to describe the outcomes of patients with and without remote monitoring of in devices in the Abbott Premature Battery Depletion advisory with data from a Canadian registry Methods Patients with an Abbott device subject to the Battery Performance Alert Advisory from nine ICD implanting centres in Canada were included in the registry. The use of remote monitoring was identified from baseline and followup data in the registry. The primary outcome was detection of premature battery depletion and all cause mortality. Results 2679 patents were identified with a device subject to the advisory. Devices were implanted between 2010 and 2017. 1716 patients (64%) had remote monitoring at baseline with this increasing to 83.7% at followup at 12 months. Premature battery depletion occurred in 43 patients (1.6%). Discovery of premature battery depletion was detected by remote monitoring in 70% of patients. There were 492 deaths during the follow up. Mortality was higher in those without a remote monitor compared to those with a remote monitor at follow-up and remote monitor at baseline and follow-up (11.3%, 2.6% versus 6.1% respectively; p=0.0186). There were no deaths attributed to premature battery depletion Conclusion The use of remote monitoring in patients with ICD and CRT under advisory reliably detected device failure and was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality.


2020 ◽  
pp. 001857872097388
Author(s):  
Jessica J. Frederickson ◽  
Alexandra K. Monroe ◽  
Gregory A. Hall ◽  
Kyle A. Weant

Purpose: Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (rPEP) in the emergency department (ED) is associated with high costs, complicated administration protocols, and a time-sensitive vaccination series that often requires ED follow-up visits for subsequent vaccine administration. This study sought to characterize the number of redirected vaccine administrations in those patients referred to ID Clinic, guideline compliance, and opportunities for improvement. Methods: Retrospective chart review of adult and pediatric patients presenting to the ED from 2016 to 2019 and prescribed rabies immunoglobulin. Results: Of the 89 patients included, 66.3% were referred to ID Clinic. Those referred to clinic had significantly fewer average visits to the ED for repeat vaccination ( P < .001). Of the 177 vaccinations prescribed for patients referred, 105 were administered in clinic. Overall, having insurance significantly increased the odds of completing the prescribed vaccination series (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.34, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.34 to 15.52). Among those patients referred to clinic, having insurance significantly increased the odds of receiving any follow-up doses in clinic (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 1.48 to 25.98), receiving all of their prescribed follow-up doses in clinic (OR = 10.00, 95% CI = 1.72 to 190.80), and completing the entirety of their vaccination series (OR = 5.89, 95% CI = 1.50 to 26.21). Conclusions: The use of an ID Clinic referral process for rPEP resulted in a significant reduction in the average number of visits to the ED for repeat vaccination, hence avoiding 105 ED visits. Insurance status was a significant factor in both the utilization of the ID Clinic referral system and overall completion of the vaccination series. Future research should explore workflows inclusive of both ED care and outpatient follow-up, care plans for the uninsured, and mechanisms to limit the number of patients that fail to complete the recommended vaccination series.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-282
Author(s):  
Lynne Kerr ◽  
Jane Hendry ◽  
Aaron Crookshanks ◽  
Joby Taylor

Objective: Circumcision is a commonly performed urological procedure, histology is often requested with unexpected malignancy cited as the reason. This paper aims to determine if routine histology following circumcision alters the clinical management of patients. Patients and methods: The clinical records of 508 consecutive adult patients circumcised at a district general hospital between 1/1/12 and 31/12/16 were retrospectively reviewed. Two groups were available for comparison, those with histological diagnosis (359 patients) and those with a clinical diagnosis only (149 patients). The following data were collected: indication for circumcision; preoperative clinical and histological diagnosis; patient follow-up (mean 40 months). Results: A total of 508 patients were reviewed. Histology was requested for 359 specimens (70.7%). Six cases of squamous cell carcinoma were correctly identified clinically and there were no cases of unexpected malignancy. The clinical diagnosis of lichen sclerosus was correct in 92% of cases; 39 patients were re-referred following discharge, only one required further management of a urethral stricture. Conclusion: The results of our study show there is no difference in the outcomes or re-referral rates of patients who have routine histology requested following circumcision compared with those who do not. Clinical diagnosis is consistently accurate. There is a minimal number of patients referred back to the service, even with lichen sclerosus, and histology does not affect the rate of this. We conclude that routine histology does not alter patient management following circumcision and is not required unless a clinical suspicion of malignancy exists. This study represents the largest cohort of circumcision patients and includes the longest period of follow-up to add to the current body of literature. Levels of evidence: 2b retrospective consecutive cohort study with follow up.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliana Biundo ◽  
David Lanctin ◽  
Sarah C Rosemas ◽  
Emmanuelle Nicolle ◽  
Alan Burke

Background: As cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have increased in complexity and sophistication, a transition from in-person follow-up to remote device management has taken place. The amount of information collected via cardiac devices has also increased, making the development of efficient workflows necessary for operational sustainability. Vendor-neutral clinic management software organizes patient, device, and programmer information, and thus has potential to improve remote monitoring workflow and data management. This study sought to examine whether management software use is associated with reduced time to review manage remote transmissions. Methods: A time and motion workflow analysis was performed in 6 U.S. cardiac device clinics, 3 of which use management software (Medtronic Paceart Optima™). Participating sites had an average size of 4,217 (range of 870 to 10,336) CIED patients managed. Each step involved in remote transmission review (including all clinical and administrative tasks, such as chart documentation and billing) was repeatedly timed, for all device models/manufacturers, during one business week (5 days) of observation at each clinic. The time to review an average remote transmission was calculated based on the mean time to perform each step as well as published literature, and stratified by sites with or without management software. Annual staff time required for remote monitoring was modeled by multiplying the average remote transmission review time by the average number of annual transmissions per patient across the 6 sites: 16.1 transmissions/year, representing a weighted average of therapeutic cardiac devices (4.2 transmissions/year) and insertable cardiac monitors (38.9 transmissions/year). Results: A total of 1,290 remote transmission review activities (725 with management software; 565 without management software) were observed and measured during 6 weeks of data collection. On average, the total staff time to review a remote transmission was 2.1 minutes lower at sites with management software (13.6 vs. 11.5 minutes). Extrapolated to the average clinic size of 4,217 patients, this translates into a potential annual time savings of 2,329 hours for sites with management software (13,026 vs. 15,355 hours of total transmission review time). This represents collective time savings across all clinical and administrative staff, and equates to 1.24 annual full-time equivalents (6.9 vs. 8.2 full-time equivalents). Conclusion: Remote monitoring of CIED patients requires significant staff time in cardiac device clinics. Management software is an effective tool in optimizing management of remotely monitored patients, and these benefits may translate into time savings for cardiac device clinics.


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