Evaluation Background: Acute Care Diagnostic Electrocardiographs

Here's background for our Evaluations of acute care diagnostic electrocardiographs, outlining the key considerations for making wise purchasing decisions. Learn how the technology is used, which specs are important, and what factors we test for. Also review our latest product ratings and ECRI Institute's data describing hospitals' interest in each vendor.

Acute care diagnostic electrocardiographs are used to record and analyze electrocardiograms (ECGs) in order to aid in the diagnosis of various cardiac conditions. To be considered in this category, a device must be able to acquire and transmit diagnostic ECGs containing at least 12 leads. Devices that record an ECG while the patient is exercising are a different category (stress-exercise electrocardiographs).

Acute care diagnostic electrocardiographs represent a mature technology. Systems have been able to receive patient demographic information from admit/discharge/transfer (ADT) feeds as well as send recorded ECGs to ECG management systems, cardiovascular information systems (CVISs), and electronic health records (EHRs) for several years. Vendors are refining the interpretation algorithms to improve accuracy.

Facilities and clinical departments that would use these devices include cardiology departments, EDs, and ICUs. In addition, ECGs are routinely acquired for inpatients prior to surgery, for cardiac event follow-up, or to monitor routine progression. A nurse or ECG tech is typically responsible for acquiring the ECG from the patient, and a cardiologist typically reviews the recording to make a diagnosis.

These devices are referred to by a number of names. Common synonyms include resting ECG, 12-lead ECG, ECG cart, and diagnostic/resting/12-lead EKG.

Click the product names below to view our complete findings. Products are listed alphabetically by supplier.

...