Covid 19 pandemic: the final boost for remote monitoring of implantable cardiac devices? : analysis from the nationwide remote monitoring registry (Covid-19 rm-spain)

FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Type of funding sources: None. BACKGROUND: Remote monitoring of implantable cardiac devices (CIEDs) has proven to be reliable, more efficient and even safer than conventional in-office follow-ups However, its implementation has not been as desired. The COVID 19 pandemic and the need to keep patients away from hospitals may have been the final boost for this form of monitoring. PURPOSE: We sought to evaluate the pre and post-pandemic trends in CIEDs remote monitoring activations from a large nationwide database in order to determine the global effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on CIEDs implants in Spain. METHODS: The Covid-19 Remote Monitoring Spain Registry (Covid-19 RM-Spain) is a survey supported by the Heart Rhythm Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology to request the whole national data, regarding the number of CIED´s implants and remote monitoring activations from the five main manufacturers classified according to each autonomous community (not by institutions).All data were aggregated and anonymized to analyse the total sample. Appropriate permissions were granted to use the data and a confidentiality agreement was signed in order to avoid any transmission of sensitive information. RESULTS: The percentage of devices for which remote monitoring was activated was 24.5%; 28.4%, 42% and 49% in 2018, 2019 ,2020 and 2021, which implies that remote monitoring is now activated on more than twice as many devices in Spain as in 2018. The table shows the differences in the percentages of remote monitoring activation between three different periods for each type of device. (Period 1 /pre-lockdown January 2018-February 2021; Period 2/ lockdown: March-June 2020 and Period 3/ lockdown: July 2020-December 2021. Footnotes: Period A vs. B p<0,001 :1 ; Period A vs. C p<0,001:2; Period B vs. C p<0,001:3 Abbreviations : CRT-D: Cardiac resynchronization Therapy -Desfibrillator; CRT-P: Cardiac resynchronization Therapy -pacemaker; ICD: Implantable cardiac defibrillators; ILR: Implantable Loop recorders; LLPM: Leadles Pacemakers; PM: Pacemakers; S-ICD: Subcutaneous Implantable cardiac defibrillator. [Figure: see text] [Figure: see text]