SensiCardiac for iPhone Supercharges Electronic Stethoscopes (w/video)
by Editors on Dec 11, 2013
SensiCardiac out of Stellenbosch, South Africa has released a free iPhone app that turns your now old and boring electronic stethoscope into a powerful auscultation recording and analysis system. Simply plugin your stethoscope (SensiCardiac recommends ThinkLabs devices, while Littmann 3200 is not compatible) into the headphone jack, launch the app, and you can quickly record and store those recordings for further review and for sharing them with colleagues.
The company claims that the app is able to “differentiate between Class I and Class III echo-cardiography referrals,” whatever that means. Annotations can be made on a model heart within the app to note which sounds correlate with various possible conditions. For a more careful review of the murmurs, the audio can be slowed down to half speed with a press of a button.
AT&T has launched a mobile personal emergency response system called EverThere that works with the company’s nationwide cellular network. The EverThere system consists of a portable device weighing 1.7 oz. that has a call button to notify a care center when the user falls or has an emergency situation. The device provides hands-free voice communication with the care center that can in turn respond with appropriate help. It has an internal accelerometer to automatically determine when the user has a fall and is able to place a call even if the wearer may not be able to.
The device provides 24×7 monitoring with a care center that is able to dispatch an ambulance or call a loved one. The EverThere system makes use of GPS and allows the care center to instantly determine the user’s location. The portable system, which was designed by a Seattle based company called Numera, makes use of internal gyroscopes and magnetometers, along with the accelerometer, to help learn the user’s daily routine. The device then sets the threshold to differentiate between the user’s normal motion and abrupt motions like falls. It can be worn either on a lanyard or on a belt using a supplied clip. The lithium ion battery inside promises to last up to 36 hours on a single charge.
ACC
Medicare Cardiac Rehab Coverage Expanded
February 19, 2014
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded coverage of cardiac rehabilitation services to chronic heart failure patients. The decision memo finalized changes to the national coverage determination for cardiac rehabilitation. Specifically, this includes “beneficiaries with stable, chronic heart failure defined as patients with left ventricular ejection fraction of 35 percent or less and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II to IV symptoms despite being on optimal heart failure therapy for at least six weeks.”
The ACC worked with the American Heart Association, American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the Heart Failure Society of America last year to request this expansion. The change is effective immediately. CMS will publish additional guidance in the coming months.
