Remote ECG interpretation consultancy services for cardiovascular disease

The technologies described in this briefing are remote electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation consultancy services. They are used for assisting in diagnosing and decision-making for people with cardiovascular disease.

The innovative aspects are that with remote ECG interpretation, a person does not need to travel to hospital for a consultation with a cardiologist, potentially providing quicker and more accurate diagnoses.

The intended place in therapy would be to replace referrals to secondary care for interpreting ECGs from people with suspected cardiovascular disease.

The main points from the evidence summarised in this briefing are from 4 UK pilot studies including 26,320 adults and children in primary care. The studies show that remote ECG interpretation consultancy services may reduce the number of unnecessary referrals to secondary care and reduce costs for the NHS.

Key uncertainties around the evidence or technology are that the economic benefits are not yet clear and there is a lack of evidence for clinical outcomes. Published evidence of clinical utility is only available for 1 out of 6 services in this briefing.

The cost of the services in this briefing ranges from £3 to £195 per report (excluding VAT). The resource impact may be cost saving because of reductions in secondary care referrals.