Much of the global market for pacemakers alone – noted by leading data and analytics company GlobalData to be valued at just under $3bn in 2020 – could be overtaken by devices that add remote capabilities.

Ashley Young, Senior Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Beyond cardiac rhythm management, the potential for remote monitoring in cardiovascular treatment is limitless. There is plenty of market share up for the taking for devices offering remote monitoring features.”

Medtronic is an example of a company that has made significant strides in this area, with remote-monitoring functions built into some of its cardiac rhythm monitoring devices, including implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemakers. Using the remote functionalities built into these devices, physicians can receive and interpret heart signals from their patients and make treatment decisions remotely.

Young adds: “The ability to diagnose and treat diseases remotely is an attractive option for many reasons. In addition to providing better care for remote communities, which have fewer options for in-person treatment, remote monitoring reduces in-person physician visits overall and reduces strain on the healthcare system.

“The idea of remote monitoring to treat diseases has gained even more popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic – a time when healthcare providers are looking for as many ways as possible to reduce strain on healthcare systems.”

Historically, remote monitoring in the cardiovascular space has focused on wearable devices to monitor patient metrics such as heart rate. As the technology has progressed, wearables have become available to track even more complex data, including the heart’s electrical activity.