Home Monitoring: what can we expect in the future?

The Home Monitoring of implanted cardiac rhythm management devices developed by Biotronik (Berlin, Germany) is a new useful tool for monitoring patients. Home Monitoring provides access to technical and clinical data, allowing almost continuous patient surveillance. The implanted defibrillators and pacemakers transmit encrypted messages, which are automatically analyzed in the Home Monitoring Service Center and sent to the physician. The expected benefit of this kind of data transmission is an improvement in patient follow-up and early detection of changes in the rhythmologic state of the patient. However, these new tools raise several questions, which will require an answer in the nearest future. These questions focus on safety and economic aspects, and on the liability of the physician and the manufacturer. Technological improvement is also expected.