An AI skin patch that monitors patients for heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF) cuts NHS electrocardiograph (ECG) waiting times from six weeks to just days, according to a recent trial.
The Liverpool hospital trust trial found that the Zio XT patch detected more than 99 per cent of arrhythmias compared to 46.5 per cent under the current system.
The findings are published in the American Journal of Cardiology.
Many of the 425,000 ‘hidden’ cases of AF could be diagnosed and treated if the patch was introduced across the NHS.
Today, patients with suspected arrhythmias go to hospital for 24-48 hours for an ECG, where they wear a monitoring device called a holter.
However, the test can miss arrhythmias which can come and go and may only appear after the 48-hour monitoring window has closed.
But under the AI system, patients go to hospital where the 10-inch patch is put on their chest and they can be sent home.
Preliminary findings from the 2,000 patient trial at Liverpool Heart and Chest hospital showed that the patch cut ECG waiting times from six weeks to “a matter of days”.
A more precise figure is set to be published in the summer when the full data is released.
The trial also showed a reduction in the number of referrals for more invasive and costly diagnostic procedures, with more cases caught early with the device.
The device is also being trialled at hospitals such as St Bartholomew’s in London, Bristol Southmead, East Kent and Gloucestershire.
Professor Jay Wright, consultant cardiologist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, said:
“We believe that this has significantly improved patient outcomes across the trust, as patients with undiagnosed and unmanaged heart rhythm conditions are much more likely to have recurrent symptoms such as blackouts or palpitations and some may even progress to a stroke.
“We see this service as a fantastic new tool in our efforts to prevent this.”
iRhythm, which makes the device, is now seeing funding to roll out Zio XT more widely across the health system and the NHS is hopeful that this can be achieved within three years.
Dan Bamford, deputy director at the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative, an NHS project to foster medical innovation which funded the current trials, said:
“It’s helping deliver our ambition of giving more patients access to the latest AI technologies that can improve their care.”
One in five stroke patients in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have have AF, according to statistics published last week.
Image: iRhythm
