Iñaki Martín-Lesende|Estibalitz Orruño|Amaia Bilbao|Itziar Vergara|Ma Carmen Cairo|Juan Carlos Bayón|Eva Reviriego|María Isabel Romo Romo|Jesús Larrañaga|José M. Asúa|Roberto Abad|Esther Recalde
Impact of telemonitoring home care patients with heart failure or chronic lung disease from primary care on healthcare resource use (the TELBIL study randomised controlled trial)
Osakidetza|Basque Government|Department of Health|Hospital de Basurto|Osakidetza|Osakidetza|Basque Government|Department of Health|Basque Government|Department of Health|Osakidetza|Osakidetza|Basque Government|Department of Health|Osakidetza|Osakidetza
growing evidence home telemonitoring advantageous societies increasing prevalence chronic diseasesthe main objective study evaluate effect primary carebased telemonitoring intervention number length hospital admissionsa randomised controlled trial carried across 20 health centres bilbao basque country spain assess impact home telemonitoring inhome chronic patients compared standard care study lasted one year fiftyeight inhome patients diagnosed heart failure hf andor chronic lung disease cld aged 14 two hospital admissions previous year recruited intervention consisted daily patient selfmeasurements respiratoryrate heartrate blood pressure oxygen saturation weight body temperature completion health status questionnaire using pdas alerts generated preestablished thresholds crossed control group cg received usual care primary outcome measure number hospital admissions occurred 12 months postrandomisation impact telemonitoring length hospital stay use healthcare resources mortality also exploredthe intervention group ig included 28 patients cg 30 patient baseline characteristics similar groups 21 intervention patients followedup year 12 admissions 571 compared 19 22 controls 864 difference statistically significant p 0033 rr 066 95ci 044 099 mean hospital stay overall 9 days sd 43 ig versus 107 sd 112 among controls causespecific admissions 9 sd 45 vs 112 sd 118 days without statistical significance p 0891 0927 respectively four patients need telemonitored year prevent one admission nnt telephone contacts ig cg 226 sd 161 vs 86 sd 72 p 0001 fewer home nursing visits 153 sd 116 vs 254 sd 263 respectively though difference statistically significant p 03603this study shows telemonitoring inhome patients hf andor cld notably increases percentage patients hospital admissions indicates trend reduce total causespecific hospitalisations hospital stay home telemonitoring constitute beneficial alternative mode healthcare provision medically unstable elderly patientscurrent controlled trials isrctn89041993