Cardiovascular Solutions Blog

A Statistical Approach for Accurate Detection of Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter

Tiffany Dziak — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:30:00 GMT

We recently interviewed Snehraj Merchant, Vice President of Engineering, to gain insight on the development of ScottCare’s proprietary algorithm for real-time detection of Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter.

Q: What was the initial purpose of entering into the development of this algorithm?

A: Atrial Fibrillation (AF or A-Fib) is the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in the clinical practice that affects more than 2.2 million Americans and more than 4.5 million people in Europe. The prevalence of AF has not only caused a 66% increase in the number of hospitalizations in the past twenty years, but has been a substantial cost burden to the healthcare community worldwide. With the steady increase of this particular arrhythmia came the need for the development of a brand new algorithm for real-time detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL).

Q: Were there existing methods or algorithms out there that called for improvement or prompted the development of ScottCare’s algorithm?

A: Generating a successful automatic detection algorithm took multiple attempts. Previous efforts at automatic detection of AF include Moody & Mark(1983), Murgatroyd et al(1995), Duverney et al(2001), Tateno & Glass (2001), etc. using mechanisms such as Markov models, Wavelet transforms of RR intervals, coefficient of variation of RR and delta RR and utilization of RMSSD. Most utilized the MIT-BIH AF database for representing the accuracy of detection. In order to address high rate of false positive detections in an ambulatory environment, ScottCare committed to develop an algorithm with higher degree of sensitivity and specificity on not only the MIT-BIH AF database but also on 76 real life ambulatory Holter data patients with varying degrees of Paroxymal Atrial Fibrillation.

Q: What sets this algorithm apart from any other?

A: Our enhanced algorithm is unlike past algorithms used in cardiovascular devices due to its use of multiple calculations namely Root Mean Square Successive Difference, Turning Point Ratio and Shannon Entropy for detection of Afib. This quantification of nonlinear dynamics produces a much more accurate detection of AF with very high sensitivity and specificity.

Q: How has ScottCare incorporated this algorithm into its products?

A: ScottCare advanced two cardiovascular diagnostic products with the development of the new and improved algorithm, including the Chroma™ Holter Monitor and Telesentry™ Live Ambulatory Telemetry Monitor by incorporating the algorithm into their development. With a low computation time of 0.781ms, it is effective in its utilization on real-time devices as well as retrospective analysis systems. ScottCare has utilized it in both capacities.

Q: How does this make ScottCare product(s) better/different?

A: This algorithm sets our products apart from other similar cardiovascular diagnostic devices by contributing to better accuracy results and higher degree of detection in clinical application, increasing productivity and ultimately improving patient care.

To learn more about ScottCare’s proprietary A-Fib algorithm, access the publication here.

EHRPipe™ connects to EHR systems and CRM device manufacturers

Guy Flynn — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:34:00 GMT

ScottCare, a leading manufacturer of devices and software for cardiology diagnosis, therapy and monitoring, demonstrated the interoperability of its EHRPipe™ with various Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) device manufacturers at the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) North American Connectathon 2012 in Chicago (January 9-13).

“EHRPipe is a universal connectivity tool that we have built into ScottCare products, enabling them to interface with all EHR systems and CRM vendors,” explains Snehraj Merchant, VP of Engineering at ScottCare.

As the IHE web site states, an IHE Connectathon is a cross-vendor, live, supervised, structured testing event with over 150 participating vendors and 600+ engineers and IT architects. All these organizations and IT experts converge on-site for one full week of interoperability testing and problem resolution. Participants test their products against multiple vendors using real-world clinical scenarios contained in IHE's Integration Profiles.

“At Connectathon, ScottCare successfully demonstrated adherence to the IHE PCD - IDCO specification by successfully interfacing with all of the EHR and CRM vendors demonstrating this IHE Integration Profile. These vendors included EPIC, St. Jude Medical, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and Biotronik,” said Scott Rushworth, Engineering Manager at ScottCare.

Image by Ardonik

ScottCare's OneView™ CRM Syncs Directly with Merlin.net™ for Automatic Delivery of Session Data

Guy Flynn — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:09:00 GMT

Following the recent announcement from St. Jude Medical regarding its Merlin.net 5.0 upgrade, ScottCare Cardiovascular Solutions today announces that the DirectSync™ feature in its OneView CRM device management system can now be utilized. OneView CRM is used by clinics and hospitals to manage cardiac device patients and data, providing a single EHR interface for all device manufacturer data.

“With the latest Merlin.net upgrade, OneView CRM users are now able to take advantage of the DirectSync functionality built into OneView,” describes Snehraj Merchant, VP of Engineering for ScottCare. “Now, when a remote monitoring session is completed, DirectSync automatically syncs all session data from Merlin.net so it is instantly available in OneView.”

St. Jude Medical is the first of the device manufacturers able to transfer session data automatically using DirectSync in OneView. DirectSync alleviates the need to manually release a session from the CRM vendor’s web site. ScottCare is working with the leading cardiac device manufacturers to enable direct communication with OneView CRM.

“The automatic communication between DirectSync in OneView and Merlin.net 5.0 saves our clinic hours of work. We can now simply come into the clinic and start reviewing remote checks immediately. The DirectSync feature has increased our productivity and improved our workflow. What was taking us all day to complete can now be done in half the time,” said LaNita Hobby RN , Device Clinic Supervisor, Arkansas Heart Hospital Clinic.

About The ScottCare Corporation
The ScottCare Corporation is a leader in non-invasive cardiology diagnosis, therapy and monitoring. Since 1989, ScottCare has manufactured quality medical devices serving cardiopulmonary professionals. By cost-effectively applying state-of-the-art technology, the company offers the most versatile and comprehensive systems on the market in addition to providing industry-recognized levels of service to support clients’ evolving needs. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, ScottCare is a division of the Scott Fetzer Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska. Visit ScottCare on the web: http://www.scottcare.com.

ScottCare Systems to Communicate with National Cardiac Rehab Registry

Guy Flynn — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:30:00 GMT

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) recently announced an expected release date of June 2012 for the National Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry. As stated on the AACVPR web site, the registry will provide cardiac rehabilitation programs with national outcomes data for benchmarking and demonstrate the positive impact of cardiac rehabilitation on the morbidity, mortality, physical function, and quality of life of heart patients across the United States.

ScottCare Cardiovascular Solutions, maker of http://scottcare.com/versacare-home e, a multi-parameter telemetry solution with integrated program management and outcomes, will provide seamless integration with the national registry, so cardiac rehab programs are able to contribute all relevant data, fulfilling the registry’s cause.

“ScottCare has been a long-standing supporter to develop a national registry, and we are pleased to see the project is moving forward,” said Ken Zajaczkowski, General Manager of ScottCare. “This is the last step in automatically integrating the data and outcomes already captured with our TeleRehab™ product with data across all cardiac rehab programs.”

TeleRehab™ VersaCare will communicate directly with the registry through an application programming interface (API).

“VersaCare currently features built-in patient outcomes data and management,” said Snehraj Merchant, Vice President of Engineering at ScottCare. “Already having that data in our system, makes it convenient for us to feed it directly into the registry.”

About The ScottCare Corporation
The ScottCare Corporation is a leader in non-invasive cardiology diagnosis, therapy and monitoring. Since 1989, ScottCare has manufactured quality medical devices serving cardiopulmonary professionals. By cost-effectively applying state-of-the-art technology, the company offers the most versatile and powerful systems on the market in addition to providing industry-recognized levels of service to support clients’ evolving needs. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, ScottCare is a division of the Scott Fetzer Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska.

Videos and live webinar demonstration of OneView CRM now available

Guy Flynn — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:30:00 GMT

OneView CRM is the preferred, feature-rich, device independent management system for cardiac device data. Watch our video series for an overview, or join our live webinar demonstration to see all that OneView has to offer.

OneView CRM Videos

Watch videos demonstrating OneView CRM's core features and how you can benefit from comprehensive CRM data management from implant through replacement.

OneView CRM Live Demo (Webinar)

The ScottCare OneView CRM solution provides a device neutral, portable cardiac rhythm management platform, with a single, common user interface that dramatically improve your deice management workflow. Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, September 14th at 12 noon, EDT as Robert Jones, C.R.A.T., walks you through the details of:

Release of session
Patient session review
Reporting
Scheduling
Queries
Lead and device library
and much more...

Presenter:
Robert Jones, C.R.A.T.
CRDM Service Manager
Ambucor Health Solutions, Inc.

ScottCare's OneView™ CRM allows clinicians and physicians to monitor and manage pacemaker and ICD patients from device impant through device replacement

Guy Flynn — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:30:00 GMT

ScottCare Cardiovascular Solutions, a leader in non-invasive cardiology products, today announces the release of OneView™ CRM, a feature-rich, device independent management system for cardiac device patients and data that is a component of its CardioView Diagnostic product suite.

“OneView provides allied professionals and physicians with the ability to monitor and manage patients with implantable cardiac devices, regardless of the manufacturer. We are able to consolidate discrete data and PDFs from St. Jude Medical, Boston Scientific, Biotronik and Medtronic - from the programmer at implant or in-clinic interrogation, and from manufacturer web portals for remote device interrogations,” said Brad Freeman, National Sales Director for ScottCare.

OneView™ is a web-accessible application and can be accessed from any computer, iPad, or smart phone with a browser and an internet connection. The OneView solution is designed to be a device neutral, cardiac rhythm management platform that provides a single, common EMR/EHR interface for all device manufacturer data.

“ScottCare recognized the need for a patient-centric device management tool that communicated equally well with all of the device vendors,” said Ken Zajaczkowski, General Manager of ScottCare. “We developed OneView in response to that need. OneView improves device management workflow, provides powerful query functionality, comes with an extensive library of default and customizable reports, and allows for physician e-signature for direct delivery into an EMR.”

OneView™ CRM is part of ScottCare’s CardioView Dx™ Suite. Each modality of the suite, including TeleSentry™ Live Ambulatory Telemetry, Chroma™ Holter Monitoring, arrhythmia/event monitoring, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, is supported by ScottCare’s CardioFile database. CardioFile is a web-enabled report repository, providing physicians with a single interface to review, interpret, approve and e-sign reports – which are then pushed through to the EMR/HIS system via ScottCare’s single bi-directional HL-7 interface.

About The ScottCare Corporation
The ScottCare Corporation is a leader in non-invasive cardiology diagnosis, therapy and monitoring. Since 1989, ScottCare has manufactured quality medical devices serving cardiopulmonary professionals. By cost-effectively applying state-of-the-art technology, the company offers the most versatile and powerful systems on the market in addition to providing industry-recognized levels of service to support client’s evolving needs. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, ScottCare is a division of the Scott Fetzer Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska.