human
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: BACKGROUND Heart failure treatment guidelines emphasize daily weight monitoring for patients with heart failure , but data to support this practice are lacking . Using a technology-based heart failure monitoring system , we determined whether daily reporting of weight and symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure would reduce rehospitalization and mortality rates despite aggressive guideline -driven heart failure care . METHODS This was a r and omized , controlled trial . Patients hospitalized with New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure , with a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 35 % were r and omized to receive heart failure program care or heart failure program care plus the AlereNet system ( Alere Medical , Reno , Nev ) and followed-up for 6 months . The primary end point was 6-month hospital readmission rate . Secondary end points included mortality , heart failure hospitalization readmission rate , emergency room visitation rate , and quality of life . RESULTS Two hundred eighty patients from 16 heart failure centers across the United States were r and omized : 138 received the  AlereNet system and 142 received st and ard care .  Mean age was 59 + /- 15 years and 68 % were male . The population had very advanced heart failure , New York Heart Association class III ( 75 % ) or IV ( 25 % ) , as evidence d by serum norepinepherine levels , 6-minute walk distance and outcomes .  No differences in hospitalization rates were observed . There was a 56.2 % reduction in mortality ( P < .003 ) for patients r and omized to the AlereNet group . CONCLUSIONS This is the largest multicenter , r and omized trial of a technology-based daily weight and symptom-monitoring system for patients with advanced heart failure . Despite no difference in the primary end point of rehospitalization rates , mortality was significantly reduced for patients r and omized to the AlereNet system without an increase in utilization , despite specialized and aggressive heart failure care in both groups Heart failure ( HF ) is the leading cause of rehospitalization in older adults . The purpose of this pilot study was to examine whether telemonitoring by an advanced practice nurse reduced subsequent hospital readmissions , emergency department visits , costs , and risk of hospital readmission for patients with HF . One hundred two patient/caregiver dyads were r and omized into 2 groups postdischarge ; 84 dyads completed the study . Hospital readmissions , emergency department visits , costs , and days to readmission were abstract ed from medical records . Participants were interviewed soon after discharge and 3 months later about effects of telemonitoring on depressive symptoms , quality of life , and caregiver mastery . There were no significant differences due to telemonitoring for any outcomes . Caregiver mastery , informal social support , and electronic home monitoring were not significant predictors for risk of hospital readmission . Further studies should address the interaction between the advanced practice nurse and follow-up intervention with telemonitoring of patients with HF to better target those who are most likely to benefit Background .The high cost of caring for patients with congestive heart failure ( CHF ) results primarily from frequent hospital readmissions for exacerbations . Home nurse visits after discharge can reduce readmissions , but the intervention costs are high . Objectives .To compare the effectiveness of three hospital discharge care models for reducing CHF-related readmission charges : 1 ) home telecare delivered via a 2-way video-conference device with an integrated electronic stethoscope ; 2 ) nurse telephone calls ; and 3 ) usual outpatient care . Research Design . One-year r and omized trial . Subjects . English-speaking patients 40 years of age and older with a primary hospital admission diagnosis of CHF . Measures .Our primary outcome was CHF-related readmission charges during a 6-month period after r and omization . Secondary outcomes included all-cause readmissions , emergency department ( ED ) visits , and associated charges . Results .Thirty-seven subjects were r and omized : 13 to home telecare , 12 each telephone care and 12 to usual care .  Mean CHF-related readmission charges were 86 % lower in the telecare group ( $ 5850 , SD $ 21,094 ) and 84 % lower in the telephone group ( $ 7320 , SD $ 24,440 ) than in the usual care group ( $ 44,479 , SD $ 121,214 ) . However , the between-group difference was not statistically significant . Both intervention groups had significantly fewer CHF-related ED visits ( P = 0.0342 ) and charges ( P = 0.0487 ) than the usual care group . Trends favoring both interventions were noted for all other utilization outcomes . Conclusions .Substantial reductions in hospital readmissions , emergency visits , and cost of care for patients with CHF might be achieved by widespread deployment of distance technologies to provide posthospitalization monitoring . Home telecare may not offer incremental benefit beyond telephone follow-up and is more expensive OBJECTIVES We sought to identify whether home telemonitoring ( HTM ) improves outcomes compared with nurse telephone support ( NTS ) and usual care ( UC ) for patients with heart failure who are at high risk of hospitalization or death . BACKGROUND Heart failure is associated with a high rate of hospitalization and poor prognosis . Telemonitoring could help implement and maintain effective therapy and detect worsening heart failure and its cause promptly to prevent medical crises . METHODS Patients with a recent admission for heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF ) < 40 % were assigned r and omly to HTM , NTS , or UC in a 2:2:1 ratio . HTM consisted of twice-daily patient self-measurement of weight , blood pressure , heart rate , and rhythm with automated devices linked to a cardiology center . The NTS consisted of specialist nurses who were available to patients by telephone . Primary care physicians delivered UC . The primary end point was days dead or hospitalized with NTS versus HTM at 240 days . RESULTS Of 426 patients r and omly assigned , 48 % were aged > 70 years , mean LVEF was 25 % ( SD , 8) and median plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide was 3,070 pg/ml ( interquartile range 1,285 to 6,749 pg/ml ) . During 240 days of follow-up , 19.5 % , 15.9 % , and 12.7 % of days were lost as the result of death or hospitalization for UC , NTS , and HTM , respectively ( no significant difference ) . The number of admissions and mortality were similar among patients r and omly assigned to NTS or HTM , but the mean duration of admissions was reduced by 6 days ( 95 % confidence interval 1 to 11 ) with HTM . Patients r and omly assigned to receive UC had higher one-year mortality ( 45 % ) than patients assigned to receive NTS ( 27 % ) or HTM ( 29 % ) ( p = 0.032 ) . CONCLUSIONS Further investigation and refinement of the application of HTM are warranted because it may be a valuable role for the management of selected patients with heart failure BACKGROUND Outcomes related to chronic heart failure ( HF ) remain relatively poor , despite advances in pharmacological therapy and medical and nursing care . Experts agree that outpatient care may be among the factors that affect HF outcomes . We hypothesized that the method by which outpatient care is delivered may affect outcomes in this patient population . METHODS A prospect i ve , r and omized design was used to compare HF outcomes from 216 patients r and omized to 1 of 2 home health care delivery methods for 3 months after discharge . Care was delivered by the home nurse visit ( HNV ) or the nurse telemanagement ( NTM ) method . In the latter , patients used transtelephonic home monitoring devices to measure their weight , blood pressure , heart rate , and oxygen saturation . These data were transmitted daily to a secure Internet site . An advanced- practice nurse worked collaboratively with a cardiologist and subsequently treated patients via the telephone . Both delivery methods used the same HF-specific clinical guidelines to direct care . Outcomes include HF readmissions and length of stay , anxiety , depression , self-efficacy , and quality of life . Data were primarily tested using a 2-group analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) . We used a repeated- measures ANOVA to conduct preintervention-postintervention analyses . RESULTS After 3 months , patients in the  NTM group ( n = 108 ; mean + /- SD age , 62.9 + /- 13.2 years ; 83 % African American ; 64 % female ) had fewer HF readmissions ( 13 vs 24 ; P</=.001 ) with shorter lengths of stay ( 49.5 vs 105.0 days ; P</=.001 ) compared with the HNV group ( n = 108 ; mean + /- SD age , 63.2 + /- 12.6 years ; 89 % African American ; 62 % female ) . Hospitalization charges at 3 months were less in the NTM group compared with the HNV group ( $ 65 023 vs $ 177 365 ; P</=.02 ) . At 6 and 12 months , cumulative readmission charges in the NTM group were also less ( $ 223 638 vs $ 500 343 [ P<.03 ] and $ 541 378 vs $ 677 710 [ P</=.16 ] , respectively ) compared with the HNV group . Quality of life was significantly improved for both groups when we compared postintervention and preintervention scores . CONCLUSION The adaptation of state-of-the-art computerized technology to closely monitor patients with HF with advanced- practice nurse care under the guidance of a cardiologist significantly improves HF management while reducing the cost of care This article reports a study that pilot tested the effectiveness of a low-technology structured intervention to st and ardize home healthcare management of patients with heart failure ( HF ) within a home health agency ( HHA ) . The purpose of this study was to use low-technology equipment to improve care for patients with HF enrolled in a home health agency . The 9-week intervention was targeted toward the home health nurses and included telephone and home visits , a teaching tool , digital scales , and a log/notebook filled out by the patients in the study . Patient outcomes included decreased rehospitalization , decreased symptoms of HF , and increased quality of life BACKGROUND Patients with chronic heart failure characteristically have multiple hospital admissions for symptom control , deleteriously affecting their quality of life and imposing a burden on national healthcare costs . We assessed the effect of a novel transtelephonic monitoring and follow-up program on the admission rate and length of hospital stay as well as changes in their subjectively rated quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure . METHODS This prospect i ve 1-year study was conducted on compliant subscribers to ' SHL ' , a telecardiological service with > 60,000 subscribers , who were admitted > or = 2 times during the previous year for recurrent pulmonary edema or deterioration in heart failure . Their heart rate , blood pressure and body weight measurements were now automatically transmitted daily to ' SHL"s data bank and added to stored and up date d medical records . A question naire survey acquired information on their quality of life . RESULTS The study cohort included 118 patients , mean age 75 years ( range 49 - 89 years ) , 65 % males , a II-IV class functional capacity and a 25 % ( range 10 - 39 % ) mean ejection fraction . There was a 66 % reduction in the total hospitalization days ( from 1623 in the year preceding study entry to 558 during the study period , p<0.0001 ) . Although only 38/118 patients were hospitalized , most participants reported a significant subjective improvement in their quality of life . CONCLUSIONS Data are provided to demonstrate that a transtelephonic system allowing primary care at the patient 's home can significantly reduce hospitalization rate and length of stay and significantly enhance the quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure The purpose of this pilot study was to ( a ) determine the feasibility of providing a heart failure disease management program through an in-home telehealth communication device ( Health Buddy ® ) and ( b ) compare the effectiveness of the Health Buddy ® with traditional home management strategies ( telephonic , home visit ) in achieving selected patient outcomes ( self-efficacy , functional status , depression , and health-related quality of life ) . Ninety participants completed the study through 2 months . Thirty percent of participants were either eliminated prior to or withdrawn after enrollment from the study based on Health Buddy ® issues . A mixed model ANOVA revealed those who received telephonic disease management experienced decreased confidence in their ability to manage their heart failure whereas all other groups experienced increased confidence . Further ANOVA analyses indicated improvement over time with no group differences for functional status , depression , or health-related quality of life . These findings suggest that delivering a disease management program through a telehealth communication device is feasible and may be as effective as traditional methods BACKGROUND Web-based home care monitoring systems can assess medication compliance , health status , quality of life , and physiologic parameters . They may help overcome some of the limitations associated with current congestive heart failure management models . OBJECTIVES This pilot study compared the effects of a self-care and medication compliance device , linked to a Web-based monitoring system , to the effects of usual care alone on compliance with recommended self-care behaviors ; medication taking ; quality of life ; distance walked during a 6-minute walk test ; and New York Heart Association Functional Class . We also assessed patient experiences living with the compliance device . METHODS We enrolled 18 patients with Functional Class II-III congestive heart failure in an urban VA Medical Center . The patients were r and omized into 2 groups . Group A received usual care plus the compliance device . Group B ( controls ) received usual care only . Data were collected using the compliance device , the Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Sc 
    Output:
    
agent
Patient quality of life and satisfaction with home telemonitoring were similar or better than with usual care .
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: BACKGROUND Heart failure treatment guidelines emphasize daily weight monitoring for patients with heart failure , but data to support this practice are lacking . Using a technology-based heart failure monitoring system , we determined whether daily reporting of weight and symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure would reduce rehospitalization and mortality rates despite aggressive guideline -driven heart failure care . METHODS This was a r and omized , controlled trial . Patients hospitalized with New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure , with a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 35 % were r and omized to receive heart failure program care or heart failure program care plus the AlereNet system ( Alere Medical , Reno , Nev ) and followed-up for 6 months . The primary end point was 6-month hospital readmission rate . Secondary end points included mortality , heart failure hospitalization readmission rate , emergency room visitation rate , and quality of life . RESULTS Two hundred eighty patients from 16 heart failure centers across the United States were r and omized : 138 received the  AlereNet system and 142 received st and ard care .  Mean age was 59 + /- 15 years and 68 % were male . The population had very advanced heart failure , New York Heart Association class III ( 75 % ) or IV ( 25 % ) , as evidence d by serum norepinepherine levels , 6-minute walk distance and outcomes .  No differences in hospitalization rates were observed . There was a 56.2 % reduction in mortality ( P < .003 ) for patients r and omized to the AlereNet group . CONCLUSIONS This is the largest multicenter , r and omized trial of a technology-based daily weight and symptom-monitoring system for patients with advanced heart failure . Despite no difference in the primary end point of rehospitalization rates , mortality was significantly reduced for patients r and omized to the AlereNet system without an increase in utilization , despite specialized and aggressive heart failure care in both groups Heart failure ( HF ) is the leading cause of rehospitalization in older adults . The purpose of this pilot study was to examine whether telemonitoring by an advanced practice nurse reduced subsequent hospital readmissions , emergency department visits , costs , and risk of hospital readmission for patients with HF . One hundred two patient/caregiver dyads were r and omized into 2 groups postdischarge ; 84 dyads completed the study . Hospital readmissions , emergency department visits , costs , and days to readmission were abstract ed from medical records . Participants were interviewed soon after discharge and 3 months later about effects of telemonitoring on depressive symptoms , quality of life , and caregiver mastery . There were no significant differences due to telemonitoring for any outcomes . Caregiver mastery , informal social support , and electronic home monitoring were not significant predictors for risk of hospital readmission . Further studies should address the interaction between the advanced practice nurse and follow-up intervention with telemonitoring of patients with HF to better target those who are most likely to benefit Background .The high cost of caring for patients with congestive heart failure ( CHF ) results primarily from frequent hospital readmissions for exacerbations . Home nurse visits after discharge can reduce readmissions , but the intervention costs are high . Objectives .To compare the effectiveness of three hospital discharge care models for reducing CHF-related readmission charges : 1 ) home telecare delivered via a 2-way video-conference device with an integrated electronic stethoscope ; 2 ) nurse telephone calls ; and 3 ) usual outpatient care . Research Design . One-year r and omized trial . Subjects . English-speaking patients 40 years of age and older with a primary hospital admission diagnosis of CHF . Measures .Our primary outcome was CHF-related readmission charges during a 6-month period after r and omization . Secondary outcomes included all-cause readmissions , emergency department ( ED ) visits , and associated charges . Results .Thirty-seven subjects were r and omized : 13 to home telecare , 12 each telephone care and 12 to usual care .  Mean CHF-related readmission charges were 86 % lower in the telecare group ( $ 5850 , SD $ 21,094 ) and 84 % lower in the telephone group ( $ 7320 , SD $ 24,440 ) than in the usual care group ( $ 44,479 , SD $ 121,214 ) . However , the between-group difference was not statistically significant . Both intervention groups had significantly fewer CHF-related ED visits ( P = 0.0342 ) and charges ( P = 0.0487 ) than the usual care group . Trends favoring both interventions were noted for all other utilization outcomes . Conclusions .Substantial reductions in hospital readmissions , emergency visits , and cost of care for patients with CHF might be achieved by widespread deployment of distance technologies to provide posthospitalization monitoring . Home telecare may not offer incremental benefit beyond telephone follow-up and is more expensive OBJECTIVES We sought to identify whether home telemonitoring ( HTM ) improves outcomes compared with nurse telephone support ( NTS ) and usual care ( UC ) for patients with heart failure who are at high risk of hospitalization or death . BACKGROUND Heart failure is associated with a high rate of hospitalization and poor prognosis . Telemonitoring could help implement and maintain effective therapy and detect worsening heart failure and its cause promptly to prevent medical crises . METHODS Patients with a recent admission for heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF ) < 40 % were assigned r and omly to HTM , NTS , or UC in a 2:2:1 ratio . HTM consisted of twice-daily patient self-measurement of weight , blood pressure , heart rate , and rhythm with automated devices linked to a cardiology center . The NTS consisted of specialist nurses who were available to patients by telephone . Primary care physicians delivered UC . The primary end point was days dead or hospitalized with NTS versus HTM at 240 days . RESULTS Of 426 patients r and omly assigned , 48 % were aged > 70 years , mean LVEF was 25 % ( SD , 8) and median plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide was 3,070 pg/ml ( interquartile range 1,285 to 6,749 pg/ml ) . During 240 days of follow-up , 19.5 % , 15.9 % , and 12.7 % of days were lost as the result of death or hospitalization for UC , NTS , and HTM , respectively ( no significant difference ) . The number of admissions and mortality were similar among patients r and omly assigned to NTS or HTM , but the mean duration of admissions was reduced by 6 days ( 95 % confidence interval 1 to 11 ) with HTM . Patients r and omly assigned to receive UC had higher one-year mortality ( 45 % ) than patients assigned to receive NTS ( 27 % ) or HTM ( 29 % ) ( p = 0.032 ) . CONCLUSIONS Further investigation and refinement of the application of HTM are warranted because it may be a valuable role for the management of selected patients with heart failure BACKGROUND Outcomes related to chronic heart failure ( HF ) remain relatively poor , despite advances in pharmacological therapy and medical and nursing care . Experts agree that outpatient care may be among the factors that affect HF outcomes . We hypothesized that the method by which outpatient care is delivered may affect outcomes in this patient population . METHODS A prospect i ve , r and omized design was used to compare HF outcomes from 216 patients r and omized to 1 of 2 home health care delivery methods for 3 months after discharge . Care was delivered by the home nurse visit ( HNV ) or the nurse telemanagement ( NTM ) method . In the latter , patients used transtelephonic home monitoring devices to measure their weight , blood pressure , heart rate , and oxygen saturation . These data were transmitted daily to a secure Internet site . An advanced- practice nurse worked collaboratively with a cardiologist and subsequently treated patients via the telephone . Both delivery methods used the same HF-specific clinical guidelines to direct care . Outcomes include HF readmissions and length of stay , anxiety , depression , self-efficacy , and quality of life . Data were primarily tested using a 2-group analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) . We used a repeated- measures ANOVA to conduct preintervention-postintervention analyses . RESULTS After 3 months , patients in the  NTM group ( n = 108 ; mean + /- SD age , 62.9 + /- 13.2 years ; 83 % African American ; 64 % female ) had fewer HF readmissions ( 13 vs 24 ; P</=.001 ) with shorter lengths of stay ( 49.5 vs 105.0 days ; P</=.001 ) compared with the HNV group ( n = 108 ; mean + /- SD age , 63.2 + /- 12.6 years ; 89 % African American ; 62 % female ) . Hospitalization charges at 3 months were less in the NTM group compared with the HNV group ( $ 65 023 vs $ 177 365 ; P</=.02 ) . At 6 and 12 months , cumulative readmission charges in the NTM group were also less ( $ 223 638 vs $ 500 343 [ P<.03 ] and $ 541 378 vs $ 677 710 [ P</=.16 ] , respectively ) compared with the HNV group . Quality of life was significantly improved for both groups when we compared postintervention and preintervention scores . CONCLUSION The adaptation of state-of-the-art computerized technology to closely monitor patients with HF with advanced- practice nurse care under the guidance of a cardiologist significantly improves HF management while reducing the cost of care This article reports a study that pilot tested the effectiveness of a low-technology structured intervention to st and ardize home healthcare management of patients with heart failure ( HF ) within a home health agency ( HHA ) . The purpose of this study was to use low-technology equipment to improve care for patients with HF enrolled in a home health agency . The 9-week intervention was targeted toward the home health nurses and included telephone and home visits , a teaching tool , digital scales , and a log/notebook filled out by the patients in the study . Patient outcomes included decreased rehospitalization , decreased symptoms of HF , and increased quality of life BACKGROUND Patients with chronic heart failure characteristically have multiple hospital admissions for symptom control , deleteriously affecting their quality of life and imposing a burden on national healthcare costs . We assessed the effect of a novel transtelephonic monitoring and follow-up program on the admission rate and length of hospital stay as well as changes in their subjectively rated quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure . METHODS This prospect i ve 1-year study was conducted on compliant subscribers to ' SHL ' , a telecardiological service with > 60,000 subscribers , who were admitted > or = 2 times during the previous year for recurrent pulmonary edema or deterioration in heart failure . Their heart rate , blood pressure and body weight measurements were now automatically transmitted daily to ' SHL"s data bank and added to stored and up date d medical records . A question naire survey acquired information on their quality of life . RESULTS The study cohort included 118 patients , mean age 75 years ( range 49 - 89 years ) , 65 % males , a II-IV class functional capacity and a 25 % ( range 10 - 39 % ) mean ejection fraction . There was a 66 % reduction in the total hospitalization days ( from 1623 in the year preceding study entry to 558 during the study period , p<0.0001 ) . Although only 38/118 patients were hospitalized , most participants reported a significant subjective improvement in their quality of life . CONCLUSIONS Data are provided to demonstrate that a transtelephonic system allowing primary care at the patient 's home can significantly reduce hospitalization rate and length of stay and significantly enhance the quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure The purpose of this pilot study was to ( a ) determine the feasibility of providing a heart failure disease management program through an in-home telehealth communication device ( Health Buddy ® ) and ( b ) compare the effectiveness of the Health Buddy ® with traditional home management strategies ( telephonic , home visit ) in achieving selected patient outcomes ( self-efficacy , functional status , depression , and health-related quality of life ) . Ninety participants completed the study through 2 months . Thirty percent of participants were either eliminated prior to or withdrawn after enrollment from the study based on Health Buddy ® issues . A mixed model ANOVA revealed those who received telephonic disease management experienced decreased confidence in their ability to manage their heart failure whereas all other groups experienced increased confidence . Further ANOVA analyses indicated improvement over time with no group differences for functional status , depression , or health-related quality of life . These findings suggest that delivering a disease management program through a telehealth communication device is feasible and may be as effective as traditional methods BACKGROUND Web-based home care monitoring systems can assess medication compliance , health status , quality of life , and physiologic parameters . They may help overcome some of the limitations associated with current congestive heart failure management models . OBJECTIVES This pilot study compared the effects of a self-care and medication compliance device , linked to a Web-based monitoring system , to the effects of usual care alone on compliance with recommended self-care behaviors ; medication taking ; quality of life ; distance walked during a 6-minute walk test ; and New York Heart Association Functional Class . We also assessed patient experiences living with the compliance device . METHODS We enrolled 18 patients with Functional Class II-III congestive heart failure in an urban VA Medical Center . The patients were r and omized into 2 groups . Group A received usual care plus the compliance device . Group B ( controls ) received usual care only . Data were collected using the compliance device , the Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Sc 
    Output:
    