Virginia Chandler has an implanted defibrillator to monitor her heart rhythm. That might mean regular trips to the cardiologist for tune-ups. But thanks to technology, she can get a checkup in her living room.

Once every few months, the 73-year old dials into her doctor's office and uses a remote monitoring device to transmit information about her defibrillator and her own health. Since she doesn't drive, that means no more worrying about arranging for a ride or getting to an appointment on time.

"You can pick the time you want, you don't have to dress up, so that makes it good" said Chandler.

Dr. Kevin Campbell, an electrophysiologist with Wake Heart and Vascular Associates in Raleigh, says the convenience also is a plus for patients who have to come long distances to the doctor's office. But it also helps doctors keep track of equipment problems.

"We can keep track of leads that have been placed under advisory without having the patient come back all the time," said Campbell. "If anything goes wrong, particularly the wireless devices will give us an alert and we can call them right away and say, hey, something may be wrong with your lead, please come to the clinic."

Chandler places the transmitter on her chest just under the collarbone where the defibrillator is implanted. A few beeps from the machine tell her that the information has been retrieved and is on its way to the doctor. A shock from the defibrillator might otherwise be the only way she knows the device is active.

"You're already very sick and you've got lots of things to worry about," said Campbell. "And then having a foreign body in your chest that's with you forever does produce quite a bit of anxiety."

Campbell says his practice has over 1,200 patients using remote monitoring systems. While it's a real time-saver for both the doctor and the patients, what's more important for Chandler is peace of mind.

"I consider that being my cardiologist sitting right on my shoulder, you know," she said.

For more information about remote monitoring devices for cardiology patients, click here.