ECS review on eHealth in cardiovascular care

Mobile technology is putting health into the hands of patients. A recent review of published articles, conducted by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), summarizes the impact of mobile devices on cardiovascular care.

Innovations such as measuring heart rate, glucose levels and blood pressure are providing clinicians with new views on patient health while improving care and lowering costs.  

One of eHealth's most significant impacts is in the space of cardiology where these technologies aid in the preventative, diagnostic and treatment stages of care. Patients Physicians can monitor patients remotely to catch abnormalities early.

"eHealth is truly a revolution for health and healthcare. It's one of the most exciting changes we have seen in decades. It can help empower a person living with a medical condition," said Martin Cowie, professor of cardiology at the National Health and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, and coordinator of the ESC eHealth Unit. "People don't have to go to hospital to receive input. They can collect information at home or even when they are out and about pursuing their daily activities and those data can help doctors make better and more timely decisions with them."

This new insight simultaneously gives physicians the chance to review patient data on a single platform, allowing for more time build upon patient -physician relationships.

"We are a catalyst to translate big data to empower doctors so they can take more time with their patients," said Kyu Rhee, chief health officer at IBM. "For a cardiologist who has ten to fifteen minutes with a patient, they often find they have a large medical record with multiple chronic conditions and issues. This is not about replacing physicians. It is about augmenting their intelligence at the point of care so they can focus on their relationships."