GE Healthcare and Airstrip Technologies are offering a secure mobile app that provides clinicians with access to precise, near real-time cardiac information. Data from the GE Healthcare MUSE Cardiology Information System is now available on iPhones and iPads via AirStrip Cardiology.
The companies announced the new app on April 4 at the 60th Annual Scientific Session and Expo of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans.
The app enables a continuous flow of electrocardiograph (ECG) data and interactive historical data access, helping mobile clinicians make more informed care decisions. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Texas Health Resources and several other large hospitals and healthcare systems will soon be live with AirStrip Cardiology.
Today, remote physicians commonly view ECG data from static scanned images, which require computer access and easily distort upon zooming. ECGs measure electrical cardiac activities, such as ST elevation, an indication of heart attack risk. Remote ECG measurements are challenging because changes as small as 0.5 millimeters can indicate the presence of a serious or emergency heart condition.
AirStrip Cardiology’s high resolution can detect such small differences through completely interactive iPad or iPhone views. Unlike traditional remote diagnostics, zooming in on waveforms does not affect visual clarity. With AirStrip Cardiology, clinical information is available from 12- and 15-lead ECGs, supporting high precision levels. Clinicians can view current data and historical tests conducted up to one year ago, in ten-second increments.
Regardless of where remote cardiologists are when a critical decision is needed, they can leverage AirStrip Cardiology to quickly determine the best treatment paths for their patients. This may reduce the need to return to the hospital or access a computer connected to the hospital network. A remote cardiologist can now use AirStrip Cardiology to precisely measure ECG waveforms, helping on-site ED clinicians determine, for example, if a patient requires cath lab intervention.
“When I am on call, I need instant access to clinical data to help make informed treatment decisions,” said Mark Peterman, MD, an interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, one of Texas Health Resources’ 16 acute-care hospitals. “Traditionally, off-site cardiologists must rely on caregiver descriptions and incomplete information, such as a faxed ECG. Viewing near real-time ECG data from any location, as well as a complete database of prior ECGs, is an incredibly powerful way to increase accuracy of diagnosis.”
Clinicians are early adopters of many wireless devices like smartphones and tablets. According to Spyglass Consulting Group, 94 percent of U.S. physicians are using smartphones to communicate, manage workflows and access medical information. 1
“Among physicians, there is incredible demand for enterprise medical information on iPhones and iPads,” said Darren Dworkin, CIO at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “This new application introduces secure cardiology decision making anywhere and anytime. The interactive functionality is more advanced than anything else available today and pushes the path toward a day when all clinical hospital information will be available on a mobile platform.”
Based on a GE Healthcare and AirStrip global alliance for in-hospital cardiac diagnostics, U.S. hospitals can now purchase AirStrip Cardiology through GE Healthcare. The technology directly links to the GE Healthcare MUSE Cardiology Information System, a central cardiac repository that facilitates ECG analysis, supporting informed clinical decisions. AirStrip Cardiology is an initial step in the collaboration and an important milestone in advancing GE Healthcare’s Clinical Information Logistics vision, which reflects the company’s commitment to deliver actionable clinical intelligence at the right time and place, supporting quality of care and patient safety.
“Working with mobile health pioneer AirStrip, GE Healthcare is now bringing its unique cardiology heritage and innovation to the iPad and iPhone,” said David Ataide, vice president and general manager of Patient Care Solutions, GE Healthcare. “To make efficient clinical decisions, caregivers need access to clinical intelligence across and beyond hospital boundaries. Offering highly accurate cardiac data on mobile devices supports our commitment to deliver comprehensive clinical information wherever it is needed.”
“Our vision is to eliminate geographic and logistical barriers associated with clinical care,” said Cameron Powell, MD, president and chief medical officer, AirStrip. “GE Healthcare’s global presence and cardiac innovations will help us expand our powerful mobile apps to cardiologists worldwide.”
A native application, AirStrip Cardiology is specifically designed for iPad and iPhone screens, functionality and mobile environments. Instead of clicking through each step with a mouse or keyboard, clinicians can use their fingers and touch to quickly zoom and switch between viewing formats.
In 2010, the FDA cleared the platform behind AirStrip Cardiology. This technology is HIPAA compliant and uses state-of-the-art security protocols and cloud computing to securely transmit information rather than allowing data to reside on the mobile device, thereby enhancing privacy protections.
