SANTA CLARA, CALIF. – When Dr. Omar Dawood demonstrated the AliveCor Heart Monitor with a new app and algorithm for detecting atrial fibrillation on stage at the Health 2.0 fall conference 2014, it showed that his heart was in normal sinus rhythm – but he had a heart rate of 135 beats per minute.
Chalk it up to the excitement of speaking before an audience of physicians and technologists about this new mobile ECG tool, Dr. Dawood said. “I’m not always that anxious.”
The AliveCor device attaches to the back of iPhones or Android-based smartphones and sells for $60-$199, depending on the model of smartphone. The Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2013, and patients have used it since March 2014. The device sends an ECG reading to a cardiologist or cardiac technician, who sends a reply within 24 hours.
With the new, free app, however, patients get an immediate result from the device showing whether or not they are likely to have atrial fibrillation. The FDA cleared the algorithm for the app in August 2014, and the company launched it on the marketplace at the Health 2.0 conference.
Validation studies have shown that the AliveCor system performs comparably to a traditional 12-lead ECG, Dr. Dawood said in a video interview.
For other recent news on studies of AliveCor in clinical settings, see our Evidence-Based Apps column.
Dr. Dawood, a surgeon by training, is a clinical adviser at AliveCor and also works for a separate technology company.
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