Signify Health — a part of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) — has added heart arrhythmia tests to its diagnostic and preventive services offerings. These screenings are part of the company’s in-home services aimed at achieving earlier detection and diagnoses.
One of the reasons Signify Health is focused on heart arrhythmias is because of how common it is among the population the company serves.
“Heart arrhythmias are something that increase as people age,” Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald, chief medical officer at Signify Health Home and Community Services, told Home Health Care News. “Over [age] 65, 5% of people in the United States may have a heart arrhythmia. As you get to 75 or 80, that increases to 10% of people. Of course with our Medicare Advantage population, that involves a large part of that population. Of those people who have heart arrhythmias, we know anywhere between 1.2 and 1.5 million are actually undiagnosed.”
Dallas-based Signify is a value-based platform that leverages analytics, technology, health care provider networks and over 10,000 clinicians to power value-based payment programs. The company also offers in-home evaluations as part of its model.
People who have heart arrhythmias often deal with symptoms like chest pain, rapid and irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath.
Schwarzwald noted that most people are not diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia until they have a complication from it, such as a stroke or heart failure.
“We feel very strongly that being able to bring this service into the home allows us to assist the medical community with early diagnosis of heart arrhythmias, where you can have treatment and avoid those horrible complications,” she said. “That really fits with our philosophy of our diagnostic and preventative services. We’re trying to help with earlier diagnosis of diseases that can be treated. You can prevent worsening complications, as well as remove barriers to access to care.”
Schwarzwald explained that testing for heart arrhythmias typically involves having an appointment with one’s primary care provider, and then being referred to a cardiology clinic. At the clinic, the person has a Holter monitor placed on them, and then they must return to have the device taken off. Then there’s another visit with the cardiologist to receive the test results.
Signify Health’s new offering truncates this process by bringing the device into the home.
“It could easily be applied by our clinician, who can answer any questions that the member may have,” Schwarzwald said. “The member can take it off themselves. It looks kind of like a giant band aid with a device on top of it. It’s fairly easy to place and to wear. Then the member can send it to the cardiologist, and if they find anything they call the member and their [primary care provider] directly. We’re removing multiple different steps that generally are needed for this type of diagnostic.”
The new offering is also a way to curb costs incurred by traditional monitoring methods.
“There are often costs for Medicare members with seeing a specialist, and we’ve eliminated all of those costs, as well as just the cost to the member of time and effort,” Schwarzwald said.
Ultimately, Signify Health hopes to raise awareness about heart arrhythmias.
“We want our Medicare Advantage members to live the healthiest life they can to stay in their homes, to be able to participate in their communities,” Schwarzwald said. “By early diagnosis of these heart arrhythmias and early treatment, we hope to extend that meaningful and fruitful time for them.”
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