Integrating monitoring into the infrastructure and workflow of routine practice: OptiVol

Abstract

New cardiac resynchronization devices that monitor intrathoracic impedance may be utilized to monitor intravascular fluid status in chronic heart failure patients. Incorporating these devices into a heart failure medical practice requires the integration of heart failure medical services and electrophysiology. These devices must be interrogated and the data analyzed if the diagnostic information is to be useful in the care of heart failure patients. Device generated time aligned trends should be interpreted in the context of clinical findings. Systems must be well designed to deal with the results of solicited and unsolicited data.