BetaEntity Annotation Prototype
← Back to treatments

Annotated abstract

4-013 Introducing the role of a dedicated cardiac device educator to a large UK tertiary centre

heartjnl · 2025-08-13 · canonical JSON source

3 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

Document resource

Background Royal Stoke Hospital serves as the referral centre for Cardiology and Cardiothoracic care, catering to a population of 1.2 million people. 1 The department specialises in the implantation of complex cardiac devices, having implanted 1813 devices in 2024. The department faces operational time constraints, limited catheterisation laboratory capacity, and unprecedented demand for therapy.Patients receiving a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator (CRTD) in addition to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) may have a 40% reduction in the risk of death or heart failure hospitalisation compared to GDMT alone.2 3 Despite this benefit, only one-third of eligible patients are referred for CRTD therapy.4 Therapy decline rate within this group is reportedly 27%.5 While various factors contribute to a patient’s decision to decline, ensuring that a lack of education is not one of them is crucial.Patient education for implantable cardiac devices is typically provided by healthcare professionals, who juggle this task alongside other clinical responsibilities. The demands of clinical duties can lead to inconsistent delivery of patient education.Methods Two non-clinical Band 4 Device Educators (DEs) were employed to provide consistent patient education pre, peri, and post therapy.The aim of this role was to alleviate some of the burden on clinical staff to increase clinical activity. It was anticipated that patient acceptance would improve by providing clear, comprehensive information, giving patients ample opportunity to ask questions, and offering a dedicated phone line for any future inquiries. It was hoped that this approach would reduce the decline rate by enhancing patients' understanding of the therapy.Results An analysis of procedural time savings was conducted from June 2024 to January 2025. The DEs interacted with 3893 patients.Post-implant device education was provided by the DEs to 821 patients. It was determined that the post-procedure education took an average of 7 minutes and 54 seconds. As a result, it was calculated that 15 hours and 30 minutes of Band 7 physiologist time could be saved each month to continue clinical duties.With this time, it was estimated that catheterisation laboratory activity could be increased, allowing for an additional 15 pacemaker and 3 ICD implants per month generating £575,148 pa of additional revenue based on the average cost of devices.Abstract 4-013 Table 1Additionally, 4 patients who initially declined therapy were referred to the DEs, and after the education session, all 4 proceeded with device therapy.Conclusion The employment of two full-time DEs has proven to be beneficial for patients and cost-effective for the trust. Increased efficiencies in the catheterisation laboratory have been observed, leading to a rise in activity that generates additional income for the trust and aligns with the department's growth strategy.References Society for Cardiothoracic surgery in Great Britain and Ireland http://scts.org/patients/hospitals/108/royal_stoke_university_hospital?utm_source.com Kumar P, Schwartz JD. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2015;11(1):33–41.Bristow M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(21):2140–50.Mullens W, et al. Eur J Heart Fail. 2020;22:2349–69.Kahn M, et al. European Heart Journal 2021;00:1–8www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta324/documents/bradycardia-dual-chamber-pacemakers-review-of-ta88-id697-final-appraisal-determination-document2https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-tariff-payment-system-documents-annexes-and-supporting-documents/