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Mobile technology for the savvy cardiologist
As mobile technology has evolved, so too has the field of cardiology. Now, there is an increasing number of portable tools that have the potential to streamline daily practices for the cardiologist while saving health care dollars at the same time. Here I highlight several of the most promising mobile technologies currently available.
AliveCor
I’ve been following the development of AliveCor since its fairly brilliant and Twitter-friendly Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Dave Albert, posted a video of himself holding his phone to his chest. It has now cruised past the “cool gadget” stage and directly into medical relevance. To wit, I noticed two of our electrophysiologists with it on their phone. #Acceptance
Jordan Safirstein
The device attaches to most mobile devices and works in concert with the free AliveECG app. ECGs are recorded by placing your finger on the phone and sending the ECG via email or printing it out as a pdf. Not an electrophysiologist? You can also have the ECG analyzed by a US board certified cardiologist for a minimal fee (also available in the United Kingdom). And like any good medical tool, there is an educational component as the AliveECG app features an arrhythmia library and reference center.
For providers, there’s also a web-based application that enables you to track and view your patients ECG (isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?). Moreover, AliveCor can be integrated into select electronic medical records (eg, Practice Fusion).
How much for all this? A cool $199. Not bad, since the next most portable ECG machine is exponentially larger, more cumbersome to use and logarithmically more expensive.
PCI Risk Calculator by SCAI
If you have ever paused before your next case and wondered what the exact risk for cathing an octogenarian with a creatinine of 2.0 was, now you can find out — courtesy of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. With the basic patient information in front of you, the free and user-friendly SCAI PCI Risk Calculator will provide you with the risks for: overall mortality; blood transfusion; and contrast-induced nephropathy. And if you’re too busy, it makes a great project for the fellows!
AnticoagEvaluator by ACC
Not to be outdone, the American College of Cardiology also flexes its mobile tech muscle with the brand-new, free (we like that trend) AnticoagEvaluator. Here, you can calculate your atrial fibrillation patients’ stroke and bleeding risk, as well as the potential benefits and risks for systemic anticoagulation. CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, and HAS-BLED tools are all there waiting for you to check off boxes and come up with a number that will make your decision evidence-based, and maybe even a bit easier.
ViV Aortic
Created for the ever-expanding transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure, the ViV Aortic app was created by a London-based cardiothoracic surgeon to optimize sizing of percutaneous valves in the setting of previously placed surgical valves. However, it actually serves as a wonderful reference for all of our patients with prosthetic valves. It is about as easy to navigate as one can ask for and provides a wealth of information about the identification of aortic valves if you are unsure (allowing you to look brilliant in front of your colleagues/students). FYI, there is also a ViV Mitral version and both apps are free!