Use of device diagnostics in the outpatient management of heart failure.

Implantable cardiac devices now go far beyond the functionality of early pacemakers and defibrillators. They provide us with an unprecedented amount of information about the day-to-day status of our patients with heart failure, providing insight into the complex clinical picture of these patients. More advanced technology can be seen on the horizon, and the development of strategies to incorporate this information into our clinics is needed. Traditionally, information from devices has only been accessed by the physicians implanting the device. However, heart failure physicians and their patients can benefit from the information now available and from having ways to access and use the data. This article focuses on the successful integration of device-based data into patient care in the outpatient clinical setting.