Daily Living

Devices and Remote Monitoring Help Family Return to Normal Activities

Children learn a lot by watching–especially by watching the adults in their lives. So it’s no surprise that two Idaho teens have learned not to let something like an implanted heart device–and the checks a device requires–slow them down.

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Danielle and Randy Hanvey learned this lesson at home. Their mother, Jaci, survived an episode of sudden cardiac arrest, and received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

After she received her device, Jaci talked with her doctor, and within days she returned to her normal activities, including working out at the gym, and hasn’t slowed down since.

Inherited Condition Discovered

Later, both Danielle and Randy were tested for the same inherited condition that caused Jaci’s episode of sudden cardiac arrest—Long QT syndrome. The tests showed that both Danielle, 19, and Randy, 15, have the condition. After evaluating treatment options, Danielle, Randy, and their parents decided defibrillators were the best option for them. The defibrillators are designed to deliver a life-saving shock, which helps restore a normal heartbeat if either of them experiences sudden cardiac arrest.

LATITUDE Patient Management Capabilities Expand to Help More Device Patients

The Hanveys can benefit from the LATITUDE Patient Management System because the system has now expanded to help patients with defibrillators. Initially designed to check and monitor certain heart failure devices, the system now also supports many defibrillators. This means even more patients can have the convenience and peace of mind of doing some device checks from home.

LATITUDE does not support all implanted heart devices, such as pacemakers. Ask your doctor if your device can be checked using the LATITUDE Patient Management system.

The LATITUDE Communicator, with wand, works with compatible Boston Scientific defibrillators and heart failure devices. The Hanveys use this wanded version of the Communicator for their in-home follow-ups. The wireless LATITUDE Communicator works with RF-enabled Boston Scientific heart failure devices.

Since the implants, and with their doctor’s approval, both Danielle and Randy have resumed their typically active lifestyles, following their mother’s example. And all three of them are enrolled in the LATITUDE® Patient Management system.

The LATITUDE Patient Management system delivers a higher standard of care so patients have the confidence to enjoy a normal, active life, while staying more connected to their doctor. The LATITUDE Communicator—a small unit that can sit on a nightstand or small table—gathers virtually the same information from a patient’s device that is collected during an in-office follow-up visit. In addition, LATITUDE gives a patient’s clinic the ability to monitor heart health and specific device information on a daily or weekly basis, depending upon which type of Communicator works with the patient’s device. For LATITUDE patients who have compatible Boston Scientific ICDs, like the Hanveys, the Communicator displays a blinking white light when it’s time to send device data to the clinic. The patient simply holds the “wand” from the Communicator over the device and pushes a second, blue button to send data. Typically, this download takes about 10 to 15 seconds. But it may take longer if there is a lot of information to collect.

Staying Connected Without the Trip

The Hanveys still have some follow-up visits with their doctor. But since they are enrolled in the LATITUDE Patient Management system, some of their device checks can be done from home, rather than making the two-hour trip to the clinic. On a specific date set by their doctor, each of them simply holds the Communicator’s wand over their device, pushes a button, and waits anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. The device’s information is downloaded and sent over a regular phone line to a secure web site. From this web site, the Hanveys’ doctor can look at the downloaded information and check each of their devices.

Patients with some compatible heart failure devices may have a different kind of Communicator that collects and sends device data automatically.

With either type of Communicator, no device settings can be changed. This means that patients using LATITUDE should not worry about changing anything if they mistakenly press a button.Patients will not feel anything while the information from their device is being downloaded and sent to their doctor.

The device information sent to the web site can only be viewed by your doctor and other members of your health care team. And it’s good to know that using the Communicator won’t interfere with your use of your phone. If you are on the phone when the Communicator needs to send information, it will wait until you hang up to do its job. You can make calls whenever you choose.

LATITUDE patients may also call LATITUDE Patient Support, toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1.866.484.3268. Friendly, knowledgeable representatives can answer questions about setting up or using your LATITUDE equipment.

Benefits of the System

LATITUDE Patient Management provides several benefits for device patients:

Because device checks can take place in the clinic or at your home, the frequency of your clinic visits may decrease – with remote monitoring between office follow-ups, the level of connection to your doctor increases

The LATITUDE Communicator transmits device and health information through your regular phone line to a secure web site that only your health care support team can access

Using this information, your doctor can take action sooner and make changes when needed

You have access to knowledgeable patient support representatives 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the privacy of your own home

Getting Used to the Schedule

Danielle admits, “I'm hardly ever home between work and school. Sometimes I forget about my device check and my mom calls and tells me to come home and do the check because you have to do it on a specific date.”

In spite of the occasional reminders to do her device check, Danielle says LATITUDE is a good thing. “It's great to be able to just go home for a few minutes and do the check. I'm in more of a routine now. I do the check before work. It's great not having to travel to have it checked.”

Randy's father, Dave, recounts an incident that made the benefits of LATITUDE clear to the whole family.

“At Randy's last track meet, we started getting worried about that he was having an arrhythmia. He's grown so much over the last year and put on a lot more weight, so we were kind of worried. But we came home, put him on the machine (the Communicator), he got checked, and everything was OK.”

Family Still Active Together

The Hanveys' experience shows how the LATITUDE system can provide a higher standard of care so they have the assurance to lead an active life after receiving an implanted heart device while staying more connected to their doctor.

Jaci points out that the family still spends a lot of time on outdoor activities including boating and four-wheeling. “We still do all the things as a family that we did before we got our devices,” Jaci said.

Jaci and Dave are grateful for the reassurance of the devices, and the LATITUDE system.

“Both kids on the same day had their implant surgery. Now they're running, biking, and doing their normal, everyday things,” said Jaci. “I have the reassurance of knowing my kids have some protection against an episode of sudden cardiac arrest like the one I experienced.”

Note: Individual symptoms, situations, circumstances, and results may vary. Please consult your physician or qualified health care provider regarding your condition, appropriate medical treatment. The information provided is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Talk to your doctor about important safety information.