Subgroup analysis showed that telemonitoring reduced exacerbation rates when the intervention continued for longer than six months or pulmonary function was monitored .
Conclusions Telemonitoring for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was unlikely to result in statistically significant improvements in health outcomes .
However , our novel finding was that at least six months of intervention duration and monitoring of pulmonary function play roles in activating the effects of telemonitoring
Aims The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of telemonitoring for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease .
Telemedicine, the effect of nurse-initiated telephone follow up, on health status and health-care utilization in COPD patients: a randomized trial.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Telemedicine , care provided by electronic communication , may serve as an alternative or extension to traditional outpatient visits . This pilot study determined the effects of telemedicine on health-care utilization and health status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) patients . METHODS One hundred and one patients were r and omized , 52 patients received telemedicine care and 49 had traditional outpatient visits . The primary outcome was COPD -specific health status , measured with the Clinical COPD Question naire ( CCQ ) . Secondary outcomes included St. George 's Respiratory Question naire ( SGRQ ) and the Short Form-36 ( SF-36 ) and re source use in primary and secondary care . RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 68 ± 9 years and the mean per cent of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s was 40.4 ± 12.5 . The CCQ total score deteriorated by 0.14 ± 0.13 in the telemedicine group , and improved by -0.03 ± 0.14 in the control group ( difference 0.17 ± 0.19 , 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) : -0.21 - 0.55 , P = 0.38 ) . The CCQ symptom domain showed a significant and clinical ly relevant difference in favour of the control group , 0.52 ± 0.24 ( 95 % CI : 0.04 - 0.10 , P = 0.03 ) . Similar results were found for the SGRQ , whereas results for SF-36 were inconsistent . Patients in the control group had significantly fewer visits to the pulmonologist in comparison to patients in the telemedicine group ( P = 0.05 ) . The same trend , although not significant , was found for exacerbations after 6 months . CONCLUSIONS This telemedicine model of initiated phone calls by a health-care provider had a negative effect on health status and re source use in primary and secondary care , in comparison with usual care and therefore can not be recommended in COPD patients in its current form
Subgroup analysis showed that telemonitoring reduced exacerbation rates when the intervention continued for longer than six months or pulmonary function was monitored .
Conclusions Telemonitoring for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was unlikely to result in statistically significant improvements in health outcomes .
However , our novel finding was that at least six months of intervention duration and monitoring of pulmonary function play roles in activating the effects of telemonitoring
Aims The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of telemonitoring for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease .