Cardiac Device Management

St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s Journey to Enhanced Staff Satisfaction, Improved Patient Connectivity & Optimized Efficiency

  • Patient satisfaction reached 98.8%

Key Findings

  • The Arrhythmia Center
    Florence Wormald Heart & Vascular Institute
    St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood, Kentucky
    5 Electrophysiologists
    4 Device RNs & 3 Techs

Overview

Data deluge and resource limitations restrict clinics’ ability to manage high remote monitoring device data volumes and maintain CIED patient engagement. St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s cardiac device clinic partnered with Vector Remote Care, leveraging proprietary software technology and dedicated, certified personnel to streamline remote monitoring workflows, improve patient engagement, and optimize clinic efficiency.

Conclusion

I CARE, We Connect: A Model for CIED Monitoring Success

St. Elizabeth Healthcare is an organization built on the mission to provide comprehensive and compassionate care that improves the health of the people served. The organization’s vision is to lead the communities they serve to be the healthiest in the nation, leveraging its fundamental values, “I CARE”, outlined below:

  • Innovation
    We seek better ways to perform our work, find creative solutions, and embrace change.
  • Collaboration
    We understand that mutual respect and teamwork are critical to accomplishing goals.
  • Accountability
    We use resources efficiently, respond to others promptly, and accept responsibility for our actions and decisions.
  • Respect
    We respect the dignity and diversity of our associates, physicians, patients, family, and community members.

Background

Data Deluge & Resource Drain Limit Remote Monitoring’s Potential The healthcare industry recognizes that continuous CIED remote monitoring improves outcomes, such as patient mortality rates, healthcare intervention, and quality of life. However, only 45% of patients receiving an implantable cardiac device with remote monitoring capabilities are connected to the service. Moreover, for those CIED patients who are initially connected, maintaining patient connectivity presents time-intensive and resource-draining challenges for the clinical team.

Addressing the Challenge

In November 2021, the St. Elizabeth cardiac device clinic managed 2,412 cardiac device patients via remote monitoring. Onboarding patients from all clinics within the broader health system was a persistent challenge, and the estimated 68% connectivity rate meant that 32% of patients remained disconnected from their monitoring service and were at risk. The cardiac device clinic sought new avenues to increase connectivity, reduce an unsustainable manual workload, and implement a sustainable solution that could scale.

Why Vector Remote Care?

The Vector Platform™ is a comprehensive, device-agnostic solution that automates CIED remote monitoring and supports in-clinic device checks.

  • Efficiency & Integration
    The platform automates data collection and review, triages reports and alerts, and integrates directly into the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
  • Proprietary Features
    SmartReports and PatientConnect offer crucial advantages to alleviating staff burden.
  • Resource Optimization
    The platform's standardized scheduling and billing capabilities help optimize clinic resources and revenue.
  • Critical Support Services
    Vector’s IBHRE-certified technicians act as an extension of the clinic staff.
  • Patient Reconnection
    Automated patient reconnection support ensures CIED devices remain connected to remote monitoring.

This holistic approach drives improved patient satisfaction scores and increases patient connectivity by 25% in the first year.

Immediate & Measurable Improvement

Vector Remote Care’s software solution and ancillary patient engagement and reconnection services allowed the clinic to achieve an impressive patient connectivity rate of 88% by the end of 2023 while nearly doubling the number of remote monitoring patients managed. In just one year, St. Elizabeth Healthcare achieved CIED patient connectivity rates above 80%.

A Strategic Partnership

Vector Remote Care’s software and service support have significantly boosted the cardiac device clinic’s operational efficiency. The clinic saved a cumulative of 21,635 hours across their CIED rhythm management teams over 26 months. This includes the maintenance of a patient compliance rate above 95%, with a consistent rate of 98% by March 2023.

Clinic Growth & Increased Staff Job Satisfaction

Today, the St. Elizabeth cardiac device clinic team reports decreased burnout and improved employee satisfaction. The patients also reported a 98.8% satisfaction rating from call-in surveys.

A Replicable Model for Remote Cardiac Care Success

This review illustrates the considerable challenges CIED remote monitoring presents to the cardiac device management industry. St. Elizabeth Healthcare's success serves as a blueprint for all device clinics seeking to overcome remote cardiac care challenges, enhance operational efficiency, increase staff satisfaction, and optimize revenue.