Cardiotrack, a handheld ECG monitor, is easy to use, provides clinical grade output and performs predictive diagnosis to start intervention immediately
In spite of tremendous strides in healthcare, cardiovascular diseases continue to be one of the leading causes of death globally. Here are some recent statistics from the WHO which are extremely worrying
- CVD is the No. 1 cause of death globally; more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause.
- An estimated 17.5 million people died from CVDs in 2012, representing 31 per cent of all global deaths
- Over three quarters of CVD deaths take place in low and middle income countries
- People with cardiovascular diseases or who are at a high cardiovascular risk (due to the presence of one or more risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyper-lipedema or an already established disease) need early detection and management using counseling and medicines, as appropriate.
In India, especially the ratio of patients to cardiologists is an abysmal 7500:1, while the cost of an invasive procedure could be anything between $2,500 – 5,000 which roughly translates to the annual income of many people. Families on the edge of poverty are financially handicapped to meet the cost of a single intervention. This effectively ends the hopes and dreams of an entire generation. The result can be debiliating for the family and the nation.
Every general physician in every primary healthcare centre in semi-urban and rural india can bring about a revolution in cardiovascular care if equipped with a Cardiotrack device. He/ she can then check the cardiac health of every person who comes into the clinic and ensure that there is minimal chance of an incident. A prevention methodology working on such a large scale will not just save lives. It will save families. So, what is Cardiotrack?
Cardiotrack is a handheld ECG monitor that is easy to use, provides clinical grade output and performs predictive diagnosis to start intervention immediately. This effectively reduces the need for an invasive intervention. Cardiotrack is network connected, i.e. a patient’s ECG scan can be instantaneously transmitted to a cardiologists anywhere in the world. The device can save a cardiologist’s time by performing the diagnosis at the primary care level.
Cardiotrack has been successfully tested at the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. Side by side tests were performed using Cardiotrack and the hospital’s ECG machines to compare the results. Currently, it is also being used at Chris Hospital in Kalyan Nagar, Bengaluru and at health camps organised by the nationwide chain of clinics.
Uber Diagnostics is the company that makes Cardiotrack and it has exciting plans of revolutionising cardiovascular health. There are potential research tie-ups in the pipeline as well as increasing its reach to other countries in South Asia. The response has been extremely encouraging as governments look to manage healthcare costs by encouraging innovation in medical technology. Cardiotrack is also looking to build up a robust ecosystem for affordable cardiac care.
Additionally, Uber Diagnostics is making a social impact by providing free ECG monitoring through heart health camps. The ultimate goal is to have sufficient data to better understand the extent of heart health challenge in India.