Remote Monitoring of Patients with an Implanted Device and Patients' Outcomes: The Potential for "Win-Win" Dynamics.

Remote monitoring and telemedicine allow the delivery of medical care and medical services from a distance and are attracting increasing interest by companies producing medical technology, physicians and healthcare professionals, patients and patient organizations, healthcare providers, and administrators of healthcare services. In general, there are at least 3 conditions that make telemedicine an attractive alternative to conventional in-office or in-hospital visits and checks: first, the need to manage an increasing number of patients affected by some form of chronic disease who may benefit from frequent verification of their health conditions and consequent appropriate therapeutic adjustments; second, the need to improve access to care in an efficient way, thus reducing expenses for the healthcare system; and third, the opportunity to increase the involvement of the patients and their families in the process of healthcare delivery. The patients who have an implanted pacemaker, cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD), or device for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) usually fulfill all the above-mentioned conditions and this explains the present, topical interest on remote monitoring of implanted electrical devices.