Remote monitoring in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and acute mechanical circulatory support.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To provide an overview of the role of remote monitoring tools in management of critically-ill patients requiring acute mechanical circulatory support (MCS). RECENT FINDINGS: Tele-critical care systems have received new interest during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has stretched the capacity of health systems everywhere. At the same time, utilization of MCS and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technologies has increased during the pandemic. The opportunity for remote monitoring and clinical decision support for ECMO and acute MCS devices has been recognized by industry partners, with several major platforms implementing technology infrastructure for it in available products. Healthcare systems face challenges interfacing multiple devices from multiple manufacturers with each other and with their designated electronic health records. Furthermore, the availability of data must be combined with algorithms for alerting on clinical events and with implementation systems to act upon these alerts. Studies are not yet published validating remote monitoring platforms for ECMO and MCS in clinical care. SUMMARY: Remote monitoring for MCS devices represents a major opportunity for further investigation to improve the utilization of these devices and better serve patients.