Patient FAQ

General Questions
  • How long have you been in business?

    First-Call Medical was incorporated in 1989.

  • What are your hours of operation?

    Our office hours are from 8 am to 5 pm EST; our scanning facility is open 24/7/365

  • Are your technicians certified?

    Yes, all technicians are CCT or CRAT certified through CCI. All FCM technicians are located in the United States.

  • How do I create an account?

    Call 1-800-274-5399 and ask for the sales team, or email [email protected]

  • How are monitors shipped?

    Monitors are typically shipped via United States Priority Mail, but if needed, we can also ship FedEx.

  • How quickly is my patient contacted to schedule delivery?

    For home enrollment orders, your patient will receive a text message within 10 seconds of you submitting the order. If the patient does not call our center, we will contact the patient.

  • Is there a minimum or maximum number of enrollments required per month?

    We do not require a minimum or maximum number of enrollments.

5-In-1 Mini Patch Monitor Questions
  • What type of services can the Mini Patch Monitor be used for?

    Patch Mobile Cardiac Telemetry (MCOT)

    Patch Holter + Mobile Cardiac Telemetry

    Patch Wireless Event

    Patch Extended Holter

  • What is the average turnaround time for Summary Reports?

    Within 24 hours of the study ending assuming all commands have been received. We will also accommodate STAT requests.

  • How many channels of data?

    There are two channels of data.

  • How do I create an account?

    Call 1-800-274-5399 and ask for the sales team, or email [email protected]

  • Is the Mini Patch Monitor waterproof?

    Yes

  • Can I apply monitors during the patient’s appointment?

    Yes, we can set up your clinic with supplies for in-office applications

  • How does a patient report symptoms?

    Patients can report symptoms by pushing and holding the red button on the monitor until it vibrates.

    We also have a smartphone diary application where the patient can provide symptoms, locations, and activities for symptomatic reportings

  • Is the monitor equipped with auto-trigger functionality?

    Yes, the monitor will auto-trigger for:

    -Tachycardia

    -Bradycardia

    -Pauses

    -Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter

  • Will you call the ordering physician to alert them of the findings?

    Yes, we will establish verbal notification protocols with your clinic during onboarding.

  • In an emergency, how quickly will I receive Patch Holter and Patched Extended Holter results?

    Upon request, we will remotely terminate and download data from our Patch monitor. As soon as possible, a STAT report will be uploaded to our website.

  • Do you have different electrode options for patients with sensitive skin?

    Yes, we source a few brands of regular, sensitive skin and pediatric electrodes.

24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring Questions
  • What type of blood pressure monitors do you use?

    We provide 24-Hour Spacelabs Blood Pressure monitors and use their Sentinel software to process the data.

  • Can I apply the monitor in my office?

    No, all ABPM enrollments must be shipped from our Andover office to the patient’s home.

  • How often does the monitor take recordings?

    The monitor will take a recording every 20 minutes during the day and once every hour during the evening. If you prefer different parameters, please let us know.

  • How do we establish daytime/evening parameters?

    When scheduling delivery with the patient, we ask what time they expect to wake up and go to bed when testing.

  • How do you know which size cuff to send?

    When scheduling the delivery with the patient, we will ask for their height and weight to determine cuff size.

    We have five different-sized cups. When placing the order, you can indicate what size cups you would like us to send.

  • Does the patient receive a diary?

    Yes, FCM staff will add diary entries to the report for your team to correlate with readings

  • How quickly will I receive results?

    Results are uploaded within 24 hours of the monitor’s return.

  • Can the monitor get wet?

    No, the monitor cannot get wet.

Description of FCM Services for patients

Are you concerned about that occasional chest pain, palpitation, or dizzy spell? Do you have a family history of heart disease? Are you currently taking cardiac medication but are unsure that your condition is improving? These are some of the questions that can be answered with FCM cardiac services. The trend in medicine today focuses on defining and treating small problems before larger ones occur. Low-cost, high-diagnostic value tests are now used in this preventive medicine approach.

FCM cardiac services are currently offered throughout the United States and are available in physician offices, medical clinics, and hospitals. The purpose for FCM cardiac monitoring is to assist your physician in more accurately assessing and diagnosing your condition as it relates to cardiac symptoms, family history of heart disease, and drug titration.

FCM cardiac services are performed during your daily routine. Typically, your symptoms are more likely to occur while working, exercising, socializing, or engaging in family activities.

Symptoms And diagnosis

The following is a list of some of the symptoms and diagnoses for which cardiac monitoring is considered medically necessary by most third-party carriers.

  • Chest Pain
  • Dizziness
  • Palpitations
  • Lightheadedness
  • Face, Arm or Neck Pain
  • Arrhythmia
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Tachycardia
  • Heart Block
  • Angina
  • Syncope
  • Pacemaker implant
How To Enroll
  • Please ask your physician to complete the Patient Information Form
  • FCM will then forward a monitor directly to your home or work (the hookup will be performed over the phone with FCM technicians), OR FCM will forward a monitor directly to your physician’s office for the hookup and training.
  • All reports are available on our website.
  • At the end of the monitoring period, please return the monitor in the prepaid shipping pack. If the monitor was applied at your local hospital, please return it to that location