Only then will telemonitoring achieve the aim of preventing hospital admissions , contributing to the reduction of health re source utilization and improving the quality of life of patients
Major reported factors associated with the limited effectiveness of home telemonitoring interventions in chronic respiratory conditions include the lack of useful early predictors , poor patient compliance and the poor performance of conventional algorithms for detecting deteriorations .
This article provides a systematic review of existing algorithms and the factors associated with their performance in detecting exacerbations and supporting clinical decisions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) or asthma .
Effects of telemonitoring in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a homebased telemonitoring device , The Health Buddy ( HB ) , on health consumption and health-related quality of life ( HRQoL ) in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . The HB provides daily symptom-surveillance by a case manager and education to enhance disease knowledge and self-management . A nonr and omized controlled multicenter study was established comparing the effectiveness of telemonitoring as an add-on to care as usual with a follow-up of 6 months . Four hospitals took part in the experimental group and 2 hospitals formed an equivalent control group with 59 and 56 patients , respectively .  HRQoL was measured by the Clinical COPD Question naire . Healthcare consumption was assessed using medical records in the 6 months preceding study entry and during the study . Compared with the control group , the HB group showed a significant decrease in hospital admission rates ( HB -0.11 + /- 1.16 vs. control + 0.27 + /- 1.0 , p = 0.02 ) and in the total number of exacerbations ( HB -0.35 + /- 1.4 vs. control + 0.32 + /- 1.2 , p = 0.004 ) . There was a tendency toward decreased hospital days and outpatient visits . No significant changes in HRQoL were observed at follow-up between both study groups . Despite inherent limitations of the study , these findings suggest that adopting telemonitoring in everyday clinical practice is feasible and can substantially improve care and decrease healthcare utilization of patients with moderate to severe COPD
Only then will telemonitoring achieve the aim of preventing hospital admissions , contributing to the reduction of health re source utilization and improving the quality of life of patients
Major reported factors associated with the limited effectiveness of home telemonitoring interventions in chronic respiratory conditions include the lack of useful early predictors , poor patient compliance and the poor performance of conventional algorithms for detecting deteriorations .
This article provides a systematic review of existing algorithms and the factors associated with their performance in detecting exacerbations and supporting clinical decisions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) or asthma .