The Stéfanie Ouellet pharmacy, affiliated with Familiprix and established in the heart of the residential district of Sillery in Quebec, is a family pharmacy. Adjacent to a medical clinic (GMF), it already offered various services, such as vaccination, streptococcus screening tests, urine tests as well as the management and monitoring of chronic illnesses. The pharmacy frequently attracted patients interested in the CardioSTAT ambulatory ECG test and was forced to refer them to other pharmacies providing this service. In September 2023, Stéfanie Ouellet, pharmacist and owner, decided to integrate CardioSTAT as a new service for her customers. During the first 6 months of integration of the test in the pharmacy, more than 20 CardioSTAT tests were installed, more than 50% of which were carried out on new patients, not customers of the pharmacy

CardioSTAT – an alternative to the Holter test, available in a network of more than 100 points of service in Quebec

Until recently, the only option for detecting cardiac abnormalities in an outpatient setting was the so-called "Holter" test. This process requires the installation of multiple electrodes glued to the patient's torso, connected to a device worn on the belt or around the neck. However, the discomfort caused by this equipment makes the experience not very pleasant. Additionally, constraints related to personal hygiene and sleep disturbances generally limit the duration of the test to a maximum of 48 hours. Finally, in an often overloaded public health system, it is common for patients with a prescription for an outpatient ECG test to wait several weeks before having access to a Holter device.

Since 2015, the Canadian company Icentia has offered the CardioSTAT test, an alternative to the conventional monitoring device that is comfortable and without waiting.

Based on a miniaturized, wireless and single-use ECG recorder, CardioSTAT offers comfort without comparison with that of Holter. Water-resistant and does not disrupt sleep, it can be prescribed for short-term monitoring, i.e. 48 hours or less, or for periods ranging from 7 to 14 days. Immediately accessible, the device can be installed in just a few minutes by a nurse or pharmacist. The patient can then resume daily activities before returning the recorder by mail using the prepaid envelope provided during installation. The ECG data is then analyzed, and a report is quickly sent to the prescribing physician.

Established for almost a decade, CardioSTAT's network of points of service includes more than a hundred partner pharmacies and medical clinics. This network provides patients with a prescription with easy and rapid access to an outpatient ECG test.

A simple and efficient integration process, fully supported by the manufacturer

Icentia fully supports the CardioSTAT test integration process. At the Stéfanie Ouellet pharmacy, it began with a brief training session of around thirty minutes where the steps for installing the recorder were taught. The company also provided the information to be transmitted to patients to ensure a complete understanding of the test. This training, which took place by videoconference, can also be carried out in person. Subsequently, the company made various documents available to staff so that staff could always respond effectively to patients' questions. All that remained was to order a sufficient number of recorders in order to be able to quickly respond to patient demand. Since the integration of the CardioSTAT test, Icentia has supported Pharmacie Stéfanie Ouellet, affiliated with Familiprix, by providing informative documents intended for doctors and patients. Proactive communication with doctors from neighboring GMFs made it possible to raise awareness of the CardioSTAT test as an alternative to the Holter test, available without waiting in their community pharmacy. In addition, the pharmacy has been added to the interactive map available on the cardiostat.com website, alongside other points of service in Quebec. Finally, targeted campaigns on social networks, orchestrated by the pharmacy and in collaboration with Icentia, played a key role in the rapid dissemination of information regarding this new service.

Since its introduction, the pharmacy has welcomed 2 to 3 patients per week for the CardioSTAT test, more than half of whom are new patients. Despite the fact that they have to pay the price of the test from the pharmacy, many patients appreciate the fact that the costs are largely reimbursed by most private insurance companies. And the pharmacy continues to receive comments from patients who appreciate this fast, hassle-free service, offering a quick turnaround time for obtaining results from their doctor

To learn more about services offer at Stefanie Ouellet pharmacies click here.
To learn more about the CardioSTAT solution click here.