United States, August 30, 2022 – BIOTRONIK’s LiveSupport feature has been successfully used to remotely support Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) clinics. This new technology enables BIOTRONIK representatives to provide programmer support from remote locations, allowing for faster support for clinics and addressing concerns around in-person contact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients with newer BIOTRONIK pacemakers and ICDs are able to take advantage of the MRI AutoDetect feature, which only requires a single on-site visit to turn on. For 14 days following activation, the device will automatically switch to MRI mode when magnetic field is detected. LiveSupport eliminates the need for the representative to be on-site and allows them to provide the programming support remotely with much shorter notice.
“BIOTRONIK always strives to improve clinic efficiency and provide better care to our patients,” says Ryan Walters, President, BIOTRONIK, Inc. “We are pleased to offer LiveSupport as a technological solution to minimize response times for both our patients and customers.”
LiveSupport opens the door for a variety of remote programming and troubleshooting possibilities. “For BIOTRONIK device patients who need to undergo complex EP ablation procedures or even during routine follow-ups, the ability to quickly ask a representative to remotely log onto the programmer for troubleshooting help is tremendously valuable for me and my staff,” says cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. James Stone, Tupelo, MS.
LiveSupport is welcome news for practitioners working in remote areas. For interventional cardiologist Dr. Aaron Earles, Corinth, MS, the possibilities for remote MRI programming in his rural practice are most exciting. “Prior to having this feature, sending device patients to get an MRI scan could create delays or cause scheduling difficulties. Being able to work with a representative remotely vastly improves the workflow of our MRI department and allows me to provide better and faster patient care.”
The new feature has already been used in a unique situation. On July 9, David Pace, BIOTRONIK’s territory manager in Mississippi, was attending training meetings in Germany when he received a service request to turn on MRI mode for a patient in the U.S. Within minutes, Pace was able to use LiveSupport to activate the MRI AutoDectect feature to allow the patient to receive the MRI scan. “This use case exemplified the strength of this technology, and it’s truly a game changer for us,” says interventional cardiologist Dr. Kerry Morgan, Corinth, MS.
Having a BIOTRONIK representative on-site will continue to be standard business practice, with LiveSupport available as an option when needed or preferred by a physician. LiveSupport is available in select centers today, with broad market availability throughout the United States expected in the coming months.
