A groundbreaking new method of monitoring pacemakers is being trialled Somerset NHS FT, led by Dr Stewart Brown, a cardiology registrar at the trust.
This innovative project at Musgrove Park Hospital is part of Dr Brown's PhD in cardiology research, supervised by consultant Dr Guy Furniss.
Patients with pacemakers, typically fitted to support heart rhythm when the heart beats too slowly due to weakened muscles, are being given a small monitoring device to use at home. This project began five years ago and aims to improve patient outcomes by providing continuous monitoring outside the hospital setting.
Commenting on the initiative, Brown said:
“The more that people depend on their pacemaker, the more detrimental it can be to their health, and it can cause heart failure – something that’s been well known for quite some time,” he says.
“Most people with pacemakers tend to be in their 70s or 80s, and they might just put this down to ageing, but by using the data we’re able to detect it early and bring people in for treatment to make them feel better.
“Our cardiology service at Musgrove Park Hospital is unique in that rather than bringing patients into hospital to check their pacemaker, we send them home with a little device that they put next to their bed.
“When they go to sleep, the device runs a number of checks around midnight, and all that data is fed to us, which helps us to predict whether a patient’s heart is failing in response to a pacemaker.
“In many ways this is essential screening, where signs of potential heart failure can be detected early so the patient can have treatment before there’s a significant decline in their condition.
“Therefore, if this problem is detected early then we’re preventing people from coming into hospital with heart failure, and we know that if someone is dependent on their pacemaker all the time it can make them breathless, so we can work hard to improve their symptoms.”
Dr Brown, who has been in the South West for a decade after moving from Northern England, initially planned to undertake a Master's degree. However, his literature research revealed that no similar studies had been conducted globally, prompting him to pursue a PhD instead.
The trial at Musgrove Park Hospital represents a significant advancement in cardiology, potentially setting a new standard for pacemaker monitoring and patient care.
Image credit: iStock and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
