Digital cardiac care solutions company iRhythm Technologies has launched its virtual platform to support patients and clinicians in the wake of COVID-19 by offering home enrolment for the company’s Zio XT and Zio AT heart monitoring devices.

Since patients with heart conditions are a particularly vulnerable population for COVID-19 and should avoid unnecessary visits to a doctor’s office, they can receive and apply the device from home.

COVID-19 has been associated with cardiac effects such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias, ventricular ectopy, and torsades de pointe (TdP). For patients with underlying heart conditions, COVID-19 can have fatal consequences. Also, some medications may lead to QT prolongation as a side effect, causing the heart muscle to take longer than normal to recharge between beats. Monitoring of this electrical disturbance is typically performed by a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), exposing nurses and ECG technicians to multiple points of contact with COVID-19 patients each day, or by using high-demand telemetry beds.

Meanwhile, patients with heart conditions are at high risk for complications if they get the virus. Home enrolment with Zio XT and Zio AT devices allows clinicians to monitor both of these patient populations’ heart health remotely, powered by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI).

Judith C Lenane, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of iRhythm, said: “COVID-19 has demonstrated clinicians’ clear need for help, both on the frontlines and in remotely caring for patients from the safety of their own homes. iRhythm is focusing 100% on helping clinicians care for patients during this pandemic by providing the Zio platform to patients that need monitoring both at home and in hospitals. Remote heart monitoring and care helps to keep both patients and clinicians as safe as possible, which is more important now than ever before.”