The first phase of the project was so encouraging, Mirro says, that Parkview has embarked on a bigger phase, with 300 patients, working with Epic and its MyChart PHR.

"The patients are overwhelmingly excited about this," he says. "They say, 'This is amazing. I've always wanted to know more information about my device.'"

"Clinicians often tell us that tools like PHRs are a great idea for others, but their patient populations won't use these tools based on age, income or inability to use technology," said Jeff Donnell, president of NoMoreClipboard, in a statement upon the completion of the first phase of the PHR case study.

"Our experience with (Parkview) patients and with other clients who serve patients who supposedly reside on the wrong side of the digital divide tells a different story," he said.

Mirro, too, bristles at the notion that cardiac patients, most of whom are elderly, are not interested in engaging with technology at home.

"The stereotype is that they're not connected people – that's bull," he says. "Some of the assumptions about the over-65 age group and their connectivity are not true. With some minor training, they're very engaged."

Still, some clinicians were skeptical of the project when it began.

"The doctors were all very nervous about this: 'What do you mean, you're going to give patients their data directly?' says Mirro.

"Well, first of all, it's their data. But there were fears that maybe this would stimulate a lot of patient calls to the clinic. So far, that hasn't happened.

"Our hypothesis is if patients get this data directly they'll have fewer questions about their device and won't need to come to the clinic as often," he says. "I think it will benefit the healthcare system. I think patients will use less resources."

Meanwhile, Parkview is in discussion with other medical device manufacturers and other health IT vendors to broaden the scope of the project.

"We're planning on doing this with other device companies besides St. Jude," says Mirro. "My hope is to try to get a critical mass of EHR vendors."