Latitude Monitor for Accolade L311

Be cautious

by Lavender - 2022-07-15 21:31:29

I have a Latitude monitor that was sent home from the hospital with me when the CRT-P was implanted in 2021. The cardiologist had to set it up with Boston Scientific. They did not set it up for the first month anyway.  
 

Perhaps you should ask your cardiologist or EP about buying on ebay. Mine is setup for me specifically. A used one may have that person's info on it. Wait til Monday to call Boston Sci or your docs. 
 

I read this on Boston Sci's website for your device:

LATITUDETM NXT Patient Management System from Boston Scientific CRM
INDICATIONS: The LATITUDETM NXT Patient Management System is intended for use to remotely communicate with a compatible pulse generator from Boston Scientific CRM and transfer data to a central database. The LATITUDE
NXT System provides patient data that can be used as part of the clinical evaluation of the patient.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: The LATITUDE NXT Patient Management System is contraindicated for use with any implanted device other than a compatible Boston Scientific implanted device. Not all Boston Scientific implanted devices are compatible with the LATITUDE NXT System. 

The clinician needs to log onto the LATITUDE NXT website in order to receive alerts.    if subscribed to the LATITUDE Cellular Data Plan, missing two or more payments discontinues the subscription

SYSTEM LIMITATIONS: The LATITUDE NXT System does not provide continuous real-time monitoring. As a remote monitoring system, the LATITUDE NXT System provides periodic patient monitoring based on clinician configured settings.
 

I know there's a supply shortage but your cardiologist or EP can always bring you in for a pacemaker check if you feel there are issues while awaiting your monitor. They also have to set up the monitor payment plan. My cardiologist pays for that fee. 
 

I was very anxious about not having a monitor that first month. The cardiologist was not. I know a lot of folks living without a monitor while they wait for them to come in. You're ok. Your cardiologist is probably going to see you in a month anyway. Your pacemaker settings will be checked and adjusted most likely at that time. For now, there's no hurry to acquire a monitor unless you were specifically told to go find one. I would think if buying one online was a good idea, the cardiologist would be buying them up too. 🤔

Another thought (s)🥸

by Lavender - 2022-07-16 11:06:12

I read that in 2019, Boston Scientific had a prototype iphone app to be a home monitor. I know that medtronic has an app for that. You would think that given the current shortage of monitoring devices, Boston Sci would roll out an app to monitor instead of waiting on the devices! 
 

Keep in mind that a monitor is not like a heart monitor. It simply has parameters set up by the cardiologist for you. When I sleep by it, at some time during the night it does a quick scan. If it would find something amiss, the cardiologist would know. It also does my pacemaker check every six months while I sleep. The inbetween ones are done at the cardiologist office. So I am checked every three months (pacemaker interrogation) by one or the other. 
 

I do have the latitude app on my phone with Boston Sci info and a reassurance that the device is working properly as well as the dates of my last and next pacemaker checks. But it doesn't do remote pacemaker interrogation. 
 

My brother had a pacemaker and never had a monitor. They didn't exist. Every six weeks or more, he would call a number from his home phone and hold it to his pacemaker to check it. I think it was only checked in person every six months. 

If it was dangerous to be sent home without a monitor, they wouldn't let you home alone so to speak. You're safe. 

In theory, if it's a genuine Latitude monitor it can be made to work

by crustyg - 2022-07-16 11:21:50

The EP-techs and I ran a little experiment related to device Wireless settings, but the important point is that a programming console is needed to assign the Latitude to *your* device.  This removes all linkage from the old assignment, and tells BostonSci's servers that transmissions from the device now relate to you.

The firmware in the Latitude can be remotely updated (been through this, BostonSci helpline confirmed that this had been the cause of a very long delay on one of the occasions that I went to make a patient-initiated transmission), so I think I would be fairly confident that a genuine unit would work with your BostonSci Accolade.

Probably the most important thing to note is that it's likely that any Wave Latitude that you can buy pre-owned will need either a cellphone USB adaptor, OR a USB Ethernet adaptor.  Any cellphone adaptor is likely to be 3G - still enabled and working in Europe but being turned off in a lot of the world (and Europe over the next few years).  Without either of these, the Latitude is probably useless.