Expert Cardiac Monitoring Services

Why use mobile cardiac monitoring?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, according to the CDC. About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year - that's 1 in every 4 deaths. About 47% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital.

Remote monitoring of patients with implantable cardiac devices cuts their mortality rate by 50%, according to a study published in The Lancet and reported here. Mobile cardiac monitoring can be used not only to monitor patients under treatment; it is also an extremely informative yet easy-to-use preliminary diagnostic tool.

Why should a doctor who is NOT a cardiologist use mobile cardiac monitoring?

If you're not yet sure whether your patient really needs to be treated by a cardiologist, then why refer your patient - who likes you, knows you, trusts you - to another doctor just to get a test done, when you could, instead, easily run the test in your own office, providing better patient care and keeping your reimbursements in-house? Why inconvenience your patients by making them run around to unnecessary extra appointments with other doctors? If, after administering mobile cardiac tests yourself, you decide it's necessary to refer the patient to a cardiologist after all, you can provide the cardiologist with valuable preliminary data and reports, thus saving time and very likely saving your patient's life.

What is Cardiac Holter Monitoring?

Cardiac Holter Monitoring is a service offered by Specialized Medical to monitor a patient's heart rhythms over a 24 to 48-hour period. The patient wears a single small cardiac monitor around the waist and has 3 - 5 electrodes attached to the chest area. As arrhythmias occur, they are captured into the memory of the cardiac monitor. After the test concludes, we direct you via email to an extremely thorough color Cardiac Holter report.

What is Cardiac Event Monitoring?

Cardiac Event Monitoring is another service we offer. The procedure monitors heart rhythms for up to 30 days; the test duration may be 2 - 30 days. The patient wears a small cardiac monitor around the waist, with 3 - 5 electrodes attached to the chest area. Arrhythmias, as they occur, are captured into the memory of the cardiac monitor. If needed at any time during the test, cardiac arrhythmias may be telephonically transmitted from the patient's home to Specialized Medical using a landline. Upon conclusion of the test, we direct you via email to a detailed cardiac event report in PDF format.

What is Real-Time Telemetry Monitoring?

Specialized Medical's real-time Cardiac Telemetry Monitoring is a service which monitors a patient's heart rhythms in real time over a 24-hour period, up to 30 days. The patient wears a single, small cardiac monitor around the waist while only 3 electrodes are attached to the chest area. As they occur, arrhythmias are automatically transmitted to our monitoring facility for analysis. Our facility identifies the issues, then responds by securely sending the information to your practice as the arrhythmias occur. At the test's conclusion, a detailed full report with be provided.

Why is Cardiac Telemetry used over Cardiac Event Monitoring or Vice Versa?

Many factors determine why one test is used over another, but in some situations, insurance companies accept only one test type, while rejecting other test types. Specialized Medical offers the right mobile monitoring solution to meet your patient's healthcare and insurance needs.

Why is Telemetry Monitoring used?

For patients at high risk, Cardiac Telemetry Monitoring provides real-time monitoring to help doctors evaluate heart arrhythmias. While the patient continues with daily activities, this test is administered, using cellular technology to automatically send the data for evaluation.

How long does it take to receive results?

Cardiac Holter Test = within 7 hours of receipt of order and monitoring data.

Cardiac Event Test = within 7 hours of receipt of order and monitoring data. For data sent telephonically, one-minute EKG strip(s) are securely sent to your practice within minutes.

Cardiac Telemetry Test = results delivered daily or when emergent events occur. At the end of the monitoring period, a summary report is generated.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Test = within 7 hours of receipt of order and monitoring data.

How do I get replacement supplies?

You can login to our HIPAA-compliant system to request supplies, or alternatively, you can fax or call us. Supplies are typically shipped within 24 hours.

What precautions should a patient take when wearing a monitor?

(1) Do not get the monitor wet. (2) Take care to avoid letting the unit get caught on foreign objects when sitting in chairs, especially when the unit is clipped onto the side of your waist. (3) Do not play with the monitor; it is not a toy. (4) Do not remove the monitor or the electrodes permanently from your body unless you are instructed to do so.

How does my practice increase revenues?

At the conclusion of each test, your office bills for the professional CPT codes that we provide you.

What insurance companies do you work with?

Specialized Medical accepts assignment with all major health insurance companies.

Can a cash patient pay over time?

Yes, we accept all major credit cards over the phone.

What if we forget how to hook up a monitor or use your service?

We pride ourselves on customer service; please call us 24/7/365. Specialized Medical is here to assist you.

What if I have a patient who desperately needs this test but is short on funds?

At Specialized Medical, we are committed to helping those in need. Our payment plans are flexible, so if needed, we can usually work out payment plans or other arrangements. Please call us. Let's work together to see what we can do to help.

What if a patient breaks a Specialized Medical monitor?

If you use our service regularly and this is a very rare occurrence, Specialized Medical will replace the monitor for free.

Are there any locked-in contracts?

Specialized Medical will not lock you or your practice into any contracts; you are free to stop using our service whenever you wish.

I am not 100% sure if this service is a good fit for my practice -- what does Specialized Medical recommend?

You have nothing to lose but exceptional health care for your patients and increased office revenues. Try our service on 2 - 3 patients to see how it works. If you not 100% satisfied, then return everything to Specialized Medical with no worries.

Which types of doctors typically use your service?

Physicians in the following specialties typically use our services: doctors of internal medicine, family practice physicians, general practice physicians and cardiologists.