Key points

• ECG patches are designed to provide ambulatory continuous monitoring for up to 14 days to detect cardiac rhythm abnormalities.
• Evidence suggests that ECG patches can improve the detection rate of possible cardiac rhythm abnormalities compared with traditional 24-hour Holter monitors and cardiac event recorders (CER). There are no data on the diagnostic accuracy of ECG patches and their impact on clinical outcomes remains uncertain based on the published evidence.
• Patients generally find ECG patches comfortable and easy to wear due to their compact size, discreet design and simple application. Patients valued the convenience of wearing the patch while engaging in daily activities like showering. This can lead to higher patient compliance and longer wear time compared with traditional devices such as Holter monitors.
• The use of ECG patches offers potential benefits for improving access to cardiac monitoring. For example, people living in rural areas, or who face difficulties in attending hospital appointments, can have the patch fitted during the initial appointment and return it via the post once the monitoring period is complete, reducing the need for additional trips to healthcare facilities.
• A cost analysis conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) looking at the use of ECG patches in a post-cryptogenic stroke population found they were associated with an increase in per patient costs. This result was highly sensitive to the cost of the ECG patch device which was £310 per patient. There would have been no cost impact if the cost for ECG patches was £229 per patient.
• The NICE cost analysis may underestimate the value of ECG patches to the National Health Service (NHS) by constraining its time horizon to 1 year and therefore omitting potential longer-term patient and service benefits.

Referred by 

The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) collaborative