Patients using Medtronic pacemakers will soon be able to access data from these implanted devices directly from a new smartphone app, VentureBeat reports.
Medtronic officially launched the app, dubbed MyCareLink Heart, to enable patients to access data from their pacemakers on their smartphones.
The app isn't meant to replace patient interactions with clinicians, but rather to help patients log their vitals and symptoms for personal review. The app also allows patients to check the battery life of their pacemaker and analyze the relationship between their physical activity and heart rhythm.
"For the first time, pacemakers have the ability to communicate securely and directly with technology that patients use every day like smartphones and tablets," Medtronic Vice President and General Manager of Patient Monitoring and Diagnostics Aisha Barry told VentureBeat. "This brings the benefits of remote monitoring seamlessly into patients' lives, potentially leading to enhanced and more efficient patient engagement with their physicians."