Interoperability challenges in the health management of patients with implantable defibrillators

Patient empowerment frameworks engage citizens in their healthcare. Heart patients undergo implantation of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs) that support remote monitoring hoping to live a longer healthier life. Electronic Health Records (EHR), remote device monitoring, and lifestyle data can supply patient context to computerized guidelines so that health events are timely assessed and effectively treated, before they become life-threatening. In this way, lives may be saved, health care resources be optimized, and hospital visits be reduced saving time, hassle, and money. iCARDEA aims to provide health professionals with such an adaptive care planner offering decision support through semi-automated clinical guidelines integrating data from CIEDs, EHRs and Personal Health Records (PHRs). The enabling standards and interoperability initiatives are presented underlining barriers that need to be overcome, before such eHealth innovations become widely adopted.