Issue in QTc Diagnostic for the Oncological Routine: Method Development
ABSTRACT
Background:
Due to cardiotoxic side effects, numerous antineoplastic drugs can cause long QT syndrome (LQTS). When diagnosed by electrocardiogram (ECG) assessments and treated in time, the potentially fatal outcomes of LQTS can be prevented. However, these assessments are associated with patient discomfort and require timely support of the attending oncologist by a cardiologist.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine whether this approach can be made more efficient and comfortable by a smartphone application (QTc Tracker) supporting single-lead ECG records on-site and transferring to a tele-cardiologist for an immediate diagnosis.
Methods:
For evaluation, the QTc Tracker was implemented in 54 cancer centers in Germany. In total, 266 QTc diagnoses of 122 patients were recorded.
Results:
Compared to the routine ECG workflow, the QTc Tracker enabled a substantial turnaround time reduction of 98 % (2.67 hours [1.72 - 2.67 h]) and even further time efficiency in combination with a cardiologic on-call service (12.10 minutes [5.67 - 18.67 min]). Besides, nurses and patients reported higher satisfaction when using the QTc Tracker.
Conclusions:
These results reveal a significant improvement regarding reduced turnaround time and increased user satisfaction. Finally, future studies are needed to empirically test the usability and validity of such mobile ECG assessment methods. Clinical Trial: NCT04055493
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