HRS Announces Worldwide Coalition to Improve CIED Follow-up at Heart Rhythm 2023

NEW ORLEANS, LA, May 18, 2023 - The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), together with the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and Latin-American Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS) is proud to announce the Second World Forum on Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIED) Follow-up, at Heart Rhythm 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

The number of patients with CIEDs, ranging from implantable loop recorders to pacemakers and defibrillators, is continuously growing. Data from these devices are interrogated at in-office visits and remotely. However, physicians are challenged by limited integration of the different interrogation data (i.e., limited inter-operability), not only between CIED vendors, but also between type of interrogation and type of device. This unnecessarily increases workload and hampers patient care.

The World Forum on CIED is an initiative of the four major EP societies to bring together all stakeholders in the field (physicians, CIED vendors, middleware companies, standardization agencies, EMD companies...) to create a collaborative spirit to find solutions for better inter-operability within the framework of existing data formats and exchange standards. The Forum is chaired by Prof. Hein Heidbuchel, former EHRA President, and Prof. David Slotwiner, Former Chair of the HRS Interoperability Committee. The inaugural event took place in Barcelona on August 22, 2022.

"We are excited to host the second World Forum on CIED Follow-up at our Heart Rhythm 2023 in New Orleans," said Heart Rhythm Society President Andrew Krahn, MD, FHRS. "This forum provides a unique opportunity for clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders to come together and advance the field of device interoperability."

The forum will feature practical demos on the current state of the art of data export and integration from the different vendors, a keynote lecture on evolving standards, and most importantly a small celebration to sign a Statement of Common Goals that the stakeholders developed after the first Forum and that expresses their collaborative spirit.

"Electrophysiologists worldwide share the same desire to better streamline data flows during the follow-up of CIED patients, and I am extremely happy that our call for a creative forum was enthusiastically met by all stakeholders," said Hein Heidbuchel. David Slotwiner added that "The forum provides a platform for discussion between expert users and all industry involved on how to best implement existing standards, and develop newer ones, to improve patient care."

The HRS annual meeting is the premier event for heart rhythm professionals, featuring cutting-edge science, education, and networking opportunities. The meeting attracts more than 7,000 attendees from around the world, including physicians, allied health professionals, researchers, and industry leaders. For more information and to register, visit www.HeartRhythm.com.

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