Post-procedure follow-up
The follow-up of patients after recent ablation or device placement have
been significantly virtualized. After device implantation, each patient
is discharged with remote monitoring device. To minimize vulnerable
patient exposure to the high-risk hospital setting, telemedicine
services have been enabled for video-visits between provider and
patient. Furthermore, due to the ongoing COVID-19 national emergency,
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services have relaxed HIPAA
requirements for telehealth visits. To improve accessibility for
patients, video chat applications such as Apple FaceTime, Facebook
Messenger, Google or Skype may be used, as long as patients are aware of
the third-party privacy risks10. These visits have
been used to evaluate for post-procedure pain or palpitations.
Similarly, after an ablation, patients may use the digital
electrocardiogram recording devices such as Apple Watch or Kardia
application (AliveCor, Mountain View, CA) in lieu of a follow-up
post-procedure electrocardiogram. If there is concern for recurrent
arrhythmia, at home Holter monitoring may be arranged by mailing the
apparatus to the patient with instructions. Lastly, if antiarrhythmic
drug initiation is required, frequent transmissions may be used to
estimate QTc interval change after dosages.