Medtronic
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Patient Monitor Fact Sheet
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About your Medtronic CareLink® Monitor
What is a Medtronic CareLink Monitor?
The Medtronic CareLink Monitor (shown at right) allows you to send data from your cardiac device over a standard phone line for your doctor or clinic to review. The unit is small, portable, and very easy to use.
How will the monitor help me?
Follow-up care enables your doctor to have access to the most current information from your device to ensure that it continues to provide the best treatment for your heart condition. Remote follow-up with Medtronic CareLink Service can make it easier for you to get the care you need. For some people, this means fewer office visits and less time traveling to and from the clinic – time that can be used to LIVE LIFE! Sending information from your device to your clinic is quick, convenient, and can be done using a standard phone line from wherever you are in the continental United States, Alaska, or Hawaii.
How does it work?
The Medtronic CareLink Monitor is designed to be a convenient way to send information from your cardiac device to your doctor. Using the monitor is easy:
- At the time scheduled for you by your clinic, connect the Medtronic CareLink Monitor to a standard telephone line and press the “Power” button. (The monitor works with a standard phone line from within the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii.)
- You will then place the monitor “antenna” over your implanted device. The monitor will read and store the information from your device. The reading process typically takes less than three minutes but may take up to 12 minutes.
- The monitor then automatically dials a toll-free, pre-programmed telephone number and sends the data to a secure server. When the monitor starts dialing, remove the antenna from over your implanted device. The process of sending information typically takes less than three minutes but may take up to 60 minutes depending on the amount of information being transferred and the telephone line.
Your clinic will use the Internet to view and analyze the data from your device. They may contact you, depending on their procedures and your situation. Your physician may also instruct you to transmit at an unscheduled time if you are experiencing medical symptoms.
Check with your clinic for more information. Be sure to read the Medtronic CareLink Monitor Patient Manual for complete details on operation.
When should I expect to receive the monitor?
You should receive your monitor a few weeks after your doctor orders it for you. The monitor will be shipped in a plain brown box for your privacy. You may need to sign for it when it arrives. If you do not receive your monitor within 30 days, please contact your clinic.
How do I use it?
You will find materials and information on how to use your monitor in the box. Please review these materials before using your monitor.
When do I use it?
Your clinic will tell you when to transmit your device information using your monitor. Do not use your monitor unless instructed to do so by your clinic.
What should I do if I have questions?
If you have questions about your monitor or your health, contact your clinic.
Can I use the monitor when I travel?
Yes. The monitor weighs about a pound, fits in a suitcase, and should pass easily through airport security. The monitor works with a standard phone line anywhere in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. (Make sure to bring your Medtronic Device Identification Card in case you are questioned by airport security as your medical device could set off the metal detector alarm.)
Can I use this monitor if I receive a new implanted device?
Check with your clinic about using the monitor if your device is replaced with a new one. Do not use the monitor with your replacement device unless your clinic instructs you to do so.
Great information on the Web for Medtronic ICD patients
Having an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) can change your life, but the Medtronic CareLink Patient Web Site can help you LIVE LIFE.
Visit www.medtroniccarelink.com — a Web site exclusively for people with Medtronic ICDs. This Web site provides easy-to-understand information about your ICD, your heart condition, shocks, and practical tips for living life with an ICD. . . and much more.
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