Association Between Remote Monitoring and Interstage Morbidity and Death in Patients With Single‐Ventricle Heart Disease Across Socioeconomic Groups

Abstract

Background Despite improvements in survival over time, the mortality rate for infants with single‐ventricle heart disease remains high. Infants of low socioeconomic status (SES) are particularly vulnerable. We sought to determine whether use of a novel remote monitoring program, the Cardiac High Acuity Monitoring Program, mitigates differences in outcomes by SES. Methods and Results Within the Cardiac High Acuity Monitoring Program, we identified 610 infants across 11 centers from 2014 to 2021. All enrolled families had access to a mobile application allowing for near‐instantaneous transfer of patient information to the care team. Patients were divided into SES tertiles on the basis of 6 variables relating to SES. Hierarchical logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounding characteristics, was used to determine the association between SES and death or transplant listing during the interstage period. Of 610 infants, 39 (6.4%) died or were listed for transplant. In unadjusted analysis, the rate of reaching the primary outcome between SES tertiles was similar (P=0.24). Even after multivariable adjustment, the odds of death or transplant listing were no different for those in the middle (odds ratio, 1.7 [95% CI, 0.73–3.94) or highest (odds ratio, 0.997 [95% CI, 0.30, 3.36]) SES tertile compared with patients in the lowest (overall P value 0.4). Conclusions In a large multicenter cohort of infants with single‐ventricle heart disease enrolled in a digital remote monitoring program during the interstage period, we found no difference in outcomes based on SES. Our study suggests that this novel technology could help mitigate differences in outcomes for this fragile population of patients.

Keywords

• congenital heart disease
• remote monitoring
• socioeconomic status