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Remote patient monitoring may help clinicians detect the potentially life-threatening cardiovascular side effects of opioid use disorder treatments.
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Narcotic Addictions Rehab Program (NARP) and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital announced last week that they’ll pilot a six-month study, in collaboration with AliveCor, a personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology company, to study the benefits of remote personal ECG monitoring for patients using methadone.
“By enabling clinicians to efficiently detect cardiac side effects, they can better counsel patients about taking the appropriate steps to mitigate risks to their heart health,” AliveCor SVP of Enterprise North America and Biopharma Worldwide Patricia Baran said in a statement.
Methadone contributed to at least 888 cases of cardiac disorders, including cardiac arrest or arrhythmia, and 743 patient deaths between 2006 and 2023, according to data from the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) Public Dashboard.
As part of the study, patients at Jefferson NARP will record their heart activity using an FDA-cleared AliveCor ECG device to detect QT prolongation, a methadone side effect that can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac arrest. Jefferson NARP’s KardiaStation, AliveCor’s ECG analysis platform, will automatically receive those results after a 30-second processing lag.
While there are a variety of guidelines on QT screenings for patients using methadone, the American Pain Society, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the Heart Rhythm Society recommend a pretreatment ECG and follow-up ECGs when a patient’s methadone dosage increases.
Using a personal ECG monitor may help remove barriers to QT screenings, such as long travel times that can delay methadone treatment, according to AliveCor. Detected early, arrhythmias may also be easier and more effective to treat, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“Rapid, point-of-care devices can have an important role in streamlining the cardiac safety monitoring required by many behavioral disorder medicines, which are a critical part of comprehensive treatment strategies for people with substance use disorders,” William Jangro, medical director at Jefferson NARP, said in the announcement.
This pilot study is not the first time Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has worked with AliveCor’s ECG device. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospital used the remote monitoring devices to reduce the risk of infection when taking readings for Covid patients, according to a 2021 report outlining the hospital’s experience using the technology.
“Mobile technology is available for heart rhythm monitoring and has demonstrated diagnostic accuracy and the yield of high-quality ECG recordings,” the report found.