Decreasing unnecessary use of continuous cardiac monitoring (telemetry) in hospitalised patients

What you need to knowIn-hospital continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (telemetry) in patients without a clear clinical indication is associated with negative patient outcomes (such as delirium, risk of invasive procedures as a result of artefact, reduced mobility) and drives unnecessary healthcare wasteSuccessful strategies to reduce telemetry in patients without a clear clinical indication include improving ordering practices to avoid unnecessary monitoring altogether and discontinuing telemetry after the appropriately indicated duration has passedTargeted initiatives safely reduce incidence and duration of unnecessary monitoring without increasing incidence of life-threatening medical emergencies, mortality, or critical care outreach team activationSince its development in 1949, in-hospital continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (hereinafter “telemetry”) has become increasingly important for clinical care of hospitalised patients.1 Telemetry is used for a variety of applications, including diagnosis and monitoring of arrhythmias, detection of myocardial ischaemia, and monitoring of ST segments and QT intervals. Specialist societies around the world have published practice standards to…
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