May 11, 2010 – A software upgrade provides enhanced functionality, including the ability to view an expanded history of a patient’s remote follow-up data for electrophysiology (EP) devices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today cleared Latitude 6.0, a software upgrade to Boston Scientific’s Latitude patient management system, which allows remote monitoring of patients with implantable cardiac devices.
The system can detect changes in a patient’s heart health status between scheduled follow-up visits and send relevant data and alerts directly to physicians. More than 160,000 patients have been enrolled on the system at more than 2,300 clinics across the United States. Latitude is available in 15 other countries and use of the system continues to expand internationally with nearly 1,700 patients enrolled in Europe at approximately 150 clinics.
In 2009, the system detected more than 7,000 patients with at least one event of atrial arrhythmia. Patients with atrial arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, particularly those with heart failure, are at increased risk of stroke. By identifying atrial arrhythmias earlier, physicians have the opportunity to intervene with treatments that may reduce patient risks.
The LATITUDE Patient Management system will be demonstrated May 13-15 at Boston Scientific’s booth, 1017, during the 31st Annual Scientific Sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society in Denver.
For more information: www.bostonscientific.com