When it comes to monitoring and improving heart health, it’s important not to skip a beat — especially for adults aged 65+, who are at a higher risk for developing a dangerous heart condition called atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Signify Health recently announced the addition of a heart arrhythmia test to our Diagnostic and Preventive Services offering to support the earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment of the most prevalent medical conditions impacting people’s health, including AFib.
AFib is the most common form of heart arrhythmia that affects 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 65. Although treatable, if not properly detected, heart arrhythmias have the potential to damage the heart, or lead to other life-threatening conditions such as stroke, heart failure, and cardiac arrest.
Traditional methods of arrhythmia testing can be costly, uncomfortable, and time-consuming due to multiple doctor visits, making them less than optimal.
Through Signify Health’s offering and during an In-Home Health Evaluation, eligible health plan members at risk for heart arrhythmias will be identified and offered an AFib screening. The screening consists of wearing an ECG patch which provides continuous capture of cardiac activity. After 14 days of wear, members return the patch via mail. Data from the patch is reviewed by a cardiologist to determine if there is an arrhythmia. All findings are communicated to the member and shared with the member’s primary care provider.
The ECG patch eliminates most discomfort and inconvenience associated with traditional methods, providing a seamless and easy-to-use experience for health plan members.
According to a recent study, screenings for heart arrhythmias via the ECG patch can:
- Improve the member experience: 94% of members found the patch more comfortable to wear vs 52% for a Holter monitor
- Drive quality outcomes: A 14-day ECG is 2x as effective at detecting arrhythmias as a Holter monitor
National Heart Month comes around once a year but is a constant reminder to prioritize our cardiovascular health all year round. As a CVS Health company, we support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women® campaign. It’s critical to prioritize heart health for everyone – including women, 44% of whom live with heart disease in the United States. At Signify, we’re focused on helping all members improve their health outcomes, and that starts with a more effective, tailored solution to keep hearts healthy.
Think you may be at risk for heart arrhythmia? Eligible Medicare Advantage members can schedule an In-Home Health Evaluation through our self-scheduling portal: https://schedule.signifyhealth.com/home