Royal Philips Rolls Out Ambulatory Cardiac Monitoring Service Across 14 Hospitals in Spain

Global healthtech player, Royal Philips has rolled out its ambulatory cardiac monitoring service in Spain using its advanced wearable ePatch paired with its AI-powered cardiologs analytics platform. 

Reportedly, 14 Hospitals across the country are leveraging this technology.

Philips’ ePatch extended-wear holter monitors to detect life-threatening heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF). 

Per the company, the solution can detect heart arrhythmias missed by traditional holter monitors, along with enhancing patient comfort, improving care access, and potentially offers better clinical outcomes, in addition to reducing overall costs.

Sharing thoughts, Dr Jorge Pagola, neurologist postdoctoral researcher, University Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, said, "The key advantage for healthcare professionals lies in its user-friendly interface and high-quality 14-day continuous recording capabilities."

How Does Philips’ ePatch Work?

Philips’ ePatch offers data for up to 14 days of continuous monitoring. When paired with Philips’ AI-driven Cardiologs analytics platform, the solution provides end-to-end solution to the hospitals’ cardiology and neurology teams.

Moreover, it enhances healthcare providers ability to detect and diagnose AF – a potentially life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia and also the world’s most common. 

The technology integrates an analysis program, facilitating  quick examination of recordings. Additionally, AF events can be classified for rapid review by our team. 

“Using the ePatch program, we expedited hospital discharge for 80 patients in 2023. This initiative led to a reduced average length of stay, relieved emergency room pressure, and an estimated total cost reduction of €28.800 in 2023,” Dr Pagola added.

In addition to Hospital Vall d’Hebron, where Philips’ ePatch is used to detect post-discharge AF in patients, pilot projects demonstrating the device’s effectiveness in cardiology and neurology are being conducted at other major hospitals in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Alicante, Cadiz, and Navarra. 

These projects involve monitoring patients for AF after cardiac ablation therapy or heart valve replacement procedures. Additionally, studies are exploring the link between magnesium insufficiency and AF. 

Per the healthtech player, in some Spanish hospitals, the ease-of-use and cost benefits of ePatch are helping reduce waiting lists that built up during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Currently, more than 1,500 patients are currently being monitored with Philips ePatch devices in Spain. 

“This innovative new service allows clinical teams to conveniently monitor patients as they go about their everyday activities for extended periods, collecting the real-life data that helps reveal the patient’s true condition,” stated Miquel Barras, ambulatory monitoring & diagnostics lead, Philips, Spain.

Founded in 1891, Royal Philips is commonly known as Philips. The company's first products were light bulbs. Today, it focuses on improving people's health and well-being through advanced developments. The global healthtech company aims to improve 2.5 billion lives annually by 2030.

In a recent development, Philips launched the Philips CT 5300 system, incorporating advanced AI capabilities for use in diagnosis, interventional procedures, and screening.

This CT scanner is designed to enhance productivity and diagnostic capabilities in high-throughput, short-staffed radiology departments, offering a range of features to improve patient outcomes and department efficiency.