The effective management of patients with congestive heart failure in long term home care setting s is important in reducing rehospitalization , emergency department visits and improving quality of life .
Congestive heart failure results in clinical signs of edema , shortness of breath , and decreased quality of life .
Telehealth interventions following hospital discharge in various setting s have been reported in the published literature as having an impact on decreasing emergency department visits , rehospitalization and quality of life .
Impact of Telehealth on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure
The purpose of this r and omized field study was to determine the effects of telehomecare on hospitalization , emergency department ( ED ) use , mortality , and symptoms related to sodium and fluid intake , medication use , and physical activity . The sample consists of 284 patients with heart failure . The authors used logistic regression to study the effects of telehomecare on health services utilization and mortality and a general linear model to analyze changes in self-reported symptoms . On average , patients in the telehomecare groups had a lower probability of hospitalizations and ED visits than did patients in the control group . Differences were statistically significant at 60 days but not 120 days . Results show a greater reduction in symptoms for patients using telehomecare compared to control patients . The technology enables frequent monitoring of clinical indices and permits the home health care nurse to detect changes in cardiac status and intervene when necessary
The effective management of patients with congestive heart failure in long term home care setting s is important in reducing rehospitalization , emergency department visits and improving quality of life .
Congestive heart failure results in clinical signs of edema , shortness of breath , and decreased quality of life .
Telehealth interventions following hospital discharge in various setting s have been reported in the published literature as having an impact on decreasing emergency department visits , rehospitalization and quality of life .