An independent life despite heart failure

Maintaining autonomy in old age, despite heart disease - explore how telemedicine can already contribute to this today.

4min

Published on March 14, 2022

Shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, and fatigue – these are all symptoms that frequently accompany chronic heart failure. One in 20 people in Germany lives with the condition. In the future, remote monitoring of patient vital signs could help detect early indications of deteriorating cardiac function and allow patients to receive medical care in the comfort of their own homes.

Ingo von Garnier is one of Germany’s almost four million patients living with congestive heart failure [1]. This past year, he underwent a surgical procedure on his heart that resulted in lengthy stays at a hospital and rehabilitation facility. It was initially uncertain whether he would be able to return to an independent life at home. “It was a difficult time,” recalls his wife, Helga.

Incurable but manageable

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer capable of pumping sufficient blood throughout the body. The resulting oxygen deficiency causes an array of problems, but the condition can become especially critical if heart failure suddenly worsens. Experts refer to this rapid deterioration as decompensation, which can lead to acute heart failure. The condition cannot be cured, but given the right kinds of treatment, and depending on a patient’s general health and lifestyle, many are still able to lead a largely normal life. The key is to monitor the patient’s medical status very closely: The earlier any worsening of their condition is treated, the better the prognosis. Yet getting to the doctor can present a major obstacle – and not only due to the pandemic – particularly for older patients or those with limited mobility.

Decompensation

In medicine, decompensation is the term used to describe a failure of the regulatory and repair mechanisms that the body employs during the course of an illness to compensate for functional defects.

Safety in the home

As a participant in the HerzConnect program, Ingo von Garnier was largely spared from having to make those trips. This was made possible by mobile telemedical devices and regular calls with the support team at the Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia (HDZ NRW), Bad Oeynhausen, which also communicates with the physicians responsible for patient care.

Technology partnership with HerzConnect

The telemedicine program HerzConnect® grew out of a technology partnership between Siemens Healthineers und the Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia (HDZ NRW), Bad Oeynhausen. It is based on the teamplay myCare Companion technology developed by Siemens Healthineers and AIT. teamplay myCare Companion allows medical care providers and patients to exchange important health information using an online platform and a smartphone app.

Ingo von Garnier measures his vital signs and enters the data into the smartphone app as part of his daily routine. At the beginning of the program, he and his wife received comprehensive training on how to use the smartphone, blood pressure monitor, bodyweight scale, and ECG machine.

Components of a healthy heart

Remote medical monitoring

Ingo von Garner also receives medical advice from specialists at the Clinic for Cardiology at the HDZ NRW. Together with the IFAT team, they use the data he records to select the right treatments and determine early on whether he needs to check into a clinic for further diagnostics or treatment. The patient’s own physician remains the main point of contact and receives continuous updates from the IFAT team.

The concept of remote consultation for patients with chronic conditions offers many advantages in terms of patient care. Any deterioration in the patient’s condition is detected much earlier thanks to close monitoring, and this significantly shortens or even eliminates hospital stays because we are able to intervene so quickly. And last but not least, this means that the monitoring programs even extend our patients’ lives. [2]
Daniel Dumitrescu, MD, senior physician and cardiologist at the Clinic for Cardiology at the HDZ NRW

Focus on quality of life

Cardiologist Denise Guckel, MD, supervised Ingo von Garnier’s telemonitoring right from the start. “Since he entered the program, Mr. von Garnier has made excellent progress,” she reports. She emphasizes that his quality of life has noticeably improved. That is because aside from prioritizing patients’ physical well-being, HerzConnect also focuses on their lifestyle in general.

The program includes structured discussions conducted by specially trained staff and focused on improving the way patients cope with their condition. This comprehensive dialogue helps cardiac patients effectively manage their own conditions and shows them how to organize their lives in ways that keep them both safe and independent.
Denise Guckel, MD, internist and cardiologist at the Institute for Applied Telemedicine, HDZ NRW, Bad Oeynhausen

This regular phone consultation frequently fosters the growth of a special, trusting relationship between medical staff and patients that both parties appreciate. According to Helga von Garnier, it not only motivates them to adhere to the treatment plan and take an active role in managing her husband’s condition, but it also gives them a sense of security. She says, “We are overjoyed. It is a major relief for me to know that my husband is getting such good care and that he is so well informed.”

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[1] ] Editor: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) LS5 Online Editorial Office (Internetredaktion). (June 19, 2020). “Würzburger Studie: Vorstufen einer Herzschwäche bei auffallend vielen jungen Menschen - DLR Gesundheitsforschung.” German Aerospace Center (Deutsche Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt e.V.) - DLR Gesundheitsforschung. https://www.gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de/de/wurzburger-studie-vorstufen-einer-herzschwache-bei-auffallend-vielen-jungen-menschen-11615.php. Accessed on February 18, 2022.
[2] Prescher, S. (2018). Telemedicial Interventional Management in Heart Failure (TIM-HF II). Cardiovascular Telemedicine Centre. Accessed on February 28, 22 on https://telemedizin.charite.de/en/research/fontane/telemedicial_interventional_management_in_heart_failure_tim_hf_ii/

HerzConnect is not for sale in the United States. Its future availability cannot be guaranteed.

The statements by Siemens Healthineers’ customers described herein are based on results that were achieved in the patient's unique setting. Because there is no “typical” patient there can be no guarantee that other patients will achieve the same results.