Screening efforts designed to increase awareness and provide education of the warning signs and implications of Atrial Fibrillation as a risk factor for stroke.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – CardioComm Solutions, Inc. (TSX VENTURE:EKG) (“CardioComm Solutions” or the “Company”) CardioComm Solutions and the Heart and Stroke Foundation are working together to implement the Company’s SMART Monitoring based HeartCheck™ ECG screening solution at four trade shows in Toronto and Vancouver in 2014.
A primary goal of the initiative is to provide electrocardiogram (“ECG”) screening resources for the detection of cardiac arrhythmias with specific emphasis on the most difficult to find and common arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation (“AF”). The intent of the partnership is to increase the public’s understanding of risk factors, their implications (links to stroke), and treatment options for individuals diagnosed with AF.
The Screen for Atrial Fibrillation Everywhere (SAFE) Study, designed by CardioComm Solutions, will involve performing 30 second ECG recordings on up to 2,000 individuals aged 18 years and over. All participants will provide consent to participate in the study and will be given a physician interpretation of their ECG. The HeartCheck™ Handheld ECG Monitor, and associated patent pending Smart Monitoring Service, will be used to acquire the ECGs and to upload the ECG recordings to the Company’s cloud based ECG service for analysis. The Atrial Fibrillation screening booths have been and will be set up at the following events: Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Aug 18 – Sep 2; the Fall Home Show in Toronto, Sept 18-21; the Home and Designer Show in Vancouver, Oct 16-19; the Zoomer Show in Toronto, Oct 26 – 28; and the National Women’s Show in Toronto, Nov 7-9.
“This is the second time we have worked with CardioComm Solutions,” said Greg Sarney, Director, National Corporate Partnerships at the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “The HeartCheck™ ECG devices will be used by trained volunteers to acquire a single lead, 30 second ECG recording. This is important information for AF detection, as we have shown that ECGs are a more meaningful and accurate reading method of diagnosing arrhythmia than a pulse check. Ultimately our goal is to better inform the public of their risk for AF, which is the cause of an estimated 15 per cent of all strokes.”
“We are pleased to continue to have our HeartCheck™ ECG devices used in arrhythmia screening efforts for the general public. We have and shall continue to work in establishing our devices and ECG service as a preferred tool for cost effective and high volume use in community-based health programs as well as in community outreach and remote medical facilities. The devices are simple to use and remove the need for highly trained and often difficult to find ECG technicians, nurses and doctors. The centralized review of the recorded ECGs allows for efficient medical diagnosis for the presence of arrhythmias and AF specifically in this project,” said Etienne Grima, Chief Executive Officer of CardioComm Solutions.
The Company completed the initial launch of SAFE study at the 2014 Canadian National Exhibition.. “The CNE provided an excellent opportunity for us to continue the introduction of the HeartCheck™ PEN ECG in the consumer market. With hundreds of visitors to the booth, we were able to provide detailed explanations of how the device can be used to help people monitor their health, to screen themselves at home for cardiac arrhythmias and to manage their health if they are living with chronic conditions. Reception was excellent as many were able to appreciate that the technology increases their ability to catch episodes at the time that they actually experience them. This real-time information can then be shown to their physician for a more accurate assessment,” said Simi Grosman, member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
The Company intends to publish the results of the SAFE study at completion. To learn more about the HeartCheck™ devices please see the Company’s website www.theheartcheck.com.
