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People suffering from certain types of heart failure, or an abnormal heart rate or rhythm, may have one of several electronic devices implanted (e.g., a defibrillator or a pacemaker). Generally, people with these implanted devices are monitored through in-person clinic visits to check that the device is functioning properly and to assess their heart. But in-clinic monitoring of these devices can be a burden for people who have difficulty traveling or who live far from a clinic.

With remote monitoring, information from the device is recorded and sent to health care professionals securely by phone or over the internet. This may help people with implanted electronic cardiac devices by allowing earlier detection of heart issues and device malfunction and may benefit the health care system by potentially reducing the number of times people with cardiac devices need to visit a clinic.

Ontario Health looked at how effective, safe, and cost-effective remote monitoring is for people with implanted electronic cardiac devices. We also looked at the budget impact of publicly funding remote monitoring and the preferences, values, and experiences of people with implanted electronic cardiac devices.