A new heart monitoring business expanding to Whanganui aims to offer patients better access to care through heart tests that can be run on a miniature monitor. CardioScan Aotearoa manager Jez Morris, who works out of Taranaki , said the demand for cardiology services was increasing across New Zealand. Whanganui currently does not have a cardiologist and patients must travel to Palmerston North to be seen by one.
CardioScan Aotearoa can test patients using small, portable monitors that can be worn for up to a week when doing activities such as riding a bike or showering. The monitor measures the person’s heart rate and assesses its irregularity. “When your heart skips a beat - people say that’s love, but it’s not, it’s an arrhythmia and it’s good to get it checked,” Morris said.
There are a range of cardiology specialists who will analyse the results of the heart monitor tests and can report on them remotely. Most of the time the outcomes of tests could reassure patients there were no underlying issues, but there were also occasions where the heart monitor picked up signs that pointed towards more serious conditions. Testing people in their own environments meant cardiologists could review the heart as it normally operated, whereas overnight stays in hospital made it more difficult for people to relax, Morris said.
“We’re getting a faster access to treatment where it’s required. “Equity is as much about access as it is cost, so you may have an appointment.
