Establishing a Smartphone Ambulatory ECG Service for Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Pre-Syncope and Palpitations.

Background and Objectives: The Investigation of Palpitations in the ED (IPED) study showed that a smartphone-based event recorder increased the number of patients in whom an electrocardiogram (ECG) was captured during symptoms over five-fold to more than 55% at 90 days compared to standard care and concluded that this safe, non-invasive and easy-to-use device should be considered part of on-going care to all patients presenting acutely with unexplained palpitations or pre-syncope. This study reports the process of establishing a smartphone palpitation and pre-syncope ambulatory care Clinic (SPACC) service. Materials and Methods: A clinical standard operating procedure (SOP) was devised, and funding was secured through a business case for the purchase of 40 AliveCor devices in the first instance. The clinic was launched on 22 July 2019. Results: Between 22 July 2019 and 31 October 2019, 68 patients seen in the emergency departments (EDs) with palpitations or pre-syncope were referred to SPACC. Of those, 30 were male and 38 were female, and the mean age was 45.8 years old (SD 15.1) with a range from 18 years old to 80 years old. A total of 50 (74%) patients underwent full investigation. On the first assessment, seven (10%) patients were deemed to have non-cardiac palpitations and were not fitted with the device. All patients who underwent full investigation achieved symptomatic rhythm correlation most with sinus rhythm, ventricular ectopics, or bigeminy. A symptomatic cardiac dysrhythmia was detected in six (8.8%) patients. Three patients had supraventricular tachycardia (4%), two had atrial fibrillation (3%), and one had atrial flutter (2%). Qualitative feedback from the SPACC team suggested several areas where improvement to the clinic could be made. Conclusion: We believe a smartphone palpitation service based on ambulatory care is simple to implement and is effective at detecting cardiac dysrhythmia in ED palpitation patients.

Experience of a smartphone ambulatory ECG clinic for emergency department patients with palpitation: a single-centre cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Palpitation is one of the commonest presenting complaints to the emergency department (ED). Diagnosis depends on capturing an ECG during the episode. Unlike syncope, patients retain consciousness and therefore their ability to activate an ECG event recorder. The Investigation of Palpitation in the ED study demonstrated Food and Drug Administration approved AliveCor/Kardia device that links to a smartphone app was safe and effective. A Smartphone Palpitation and Pre-syncope Ambulatory Care Clinic was therefore established. OBJECTIVES: To review the first year of patients attending the service to determine the number and cost-effectiveness of cardiac dysrhythmias diagnoses. DESIGN: Single-center cohort study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, UK. All patients (over 16 years) presenting consecutively to ED with palpitation or pre-syncope, whose ECG was normal, had a compatible device and where an underlying cardiac dysrhythmia was possible were enrolled. INTERVENTION: Ambulatory Care Clinic utilizing the AliveCor/Kardia device. OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS: Number diagnosed with cardiac dysrhythmia and mean cost per diagnosis. MAIN RESULTS: Between 24 July 2019 and 23 July 2020, 290 consecutive patients were referred of age 16-80 years (mean 43.3, SD 15.0). One hundred twenty (41.4%) were male. Two hundred thirty-seven (81.7%) were fitted with the device and 220 (75.9%) underwent full investigation. Seventeen of 237 (7.2%) patients had a cardiac diagnosis (12 atrial fibrillation/flutter, 5 supraventricular tachycardia and 1 atrial tachycardia). CONCLUSIONS: There were 17 cardiac diagnoses (7.2%). The cost per symptomatic rhythm diagnosis was 358 GBP (~415 Euro) and the cost per cardiac dysrhythmia diagnosis was 4570 GBP (~5298 Euro). A smartphone-based event recorder clinic should be considered for ED palpitation patients.