A research study examined the 1-year survival rates for patients who were hospitalized after experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). The hospitalization data for this study was obtained from the biennial ACSIS (Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Survey) conducted by the Israel Heart Society. This survey documented over a two-month period all patients, who were hospitalized at one of Israel’s cardiac intensive care units, following an MI (myocardial infarction). This survey was later extended to cover a six-month period in 2004, with a follow up study conducted a year later, including all surviving patients, in order to compare the life expectancy of patients who were SHL customers against those who were not. The results of this study plainly indicated that although the SHL experimental group was a higher risk group, comprised of individuals who were in poorer health, the group also exhibited higher survival rates following a heart attack.
This study clearly indicates that remote medical monitoring via ECG transmission to a medical monitoring center, available 24 hours a day, is of critical and lifesaving importance over time, especially for patients who have undergone an MI. This study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Professor Arie Roth, head of the cardiac intensive care unit at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and SHL’s Chief Medical Director.
Professor Roth: “Prior studies have already indicated that the availability of a medical monitoring center greatly minimizes the critical time period that elapses between the onset of symptoms in the patient, and his decision to seek professional assistance. Time is of critical importance when it comes to improving patient survival rates. SHL’s technological capabilities, which allow subscribers to transmit reliable ECG results and other medical data via the phone, and receive professional aid in real-time, also serve to increase survival rates.”
Erez Alroy, CEO of SHL Telemedicine: “These research findings further stress the critical role that Telemedicine has begun to play in recent years. Telemedicine’s advanced technological capabilities enables subscribers to receive effective, professional medical care over the telephone from any location, and in most instances without any need for hospitalization,” Alroy continues, “We are certain that promoting medical research in the field of Telemedicine and improving the available technology, will only bring additional benefits to SHL customers, doctors and patients, and the health care system in general.”
The aforementioned study compared medical data on SHL subscribers who had suffered a heart attack to that of patients that were assessed as part of the ACSIS conducted by the Israel Heart Society. The ACSIS compiles medical data on all patients hospitalized in one of Israel’s 25 cardiac intensive care units during a certain time period. This latter study compared 3,899 ACSIS participants who had survived an MI, to 699 SHL subscribers who had also survived an MI.