Patients with chronic heart failure who were monitored either through home-based telemonitoring systems or conventional telephone support systems had reduced rates of hospitalization and all-cause mortality, according to a study published on Saturday in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MedPage Today reports (Phend, MedPage Today, 8/7).
Researchers defined the conventional or structured telephone support as using regular telephones and telemonitoring systems as systems that allow patients to relay personal health data -- such as body weight and symptoms of heart problems -- to their doctor through broadband, wireless and other telecommunications means.
Study Methodology
For the study, researchers reviewed randomized controlled trials that involved more than 9,500 patients (Mayer, DOTmed News, 8/9).
The trials compared heart failure management through the use of structured telephone support or telemonitoring with usual post-discharge care (MedPage Today, 8/7).
Results
The study found that:
- In the telephone group, 164 patients per 1,000 required hospitalization, compared with 213 per 1,000 in the control group;
- In the telemonitoring group, 225 patients per 1,000 required hospitalization, compared with 284 per 1,000 in the control group; and
- In the telemonitoring group, 102 patients per 1,000 died, compared with 154 per 1,000 in the control group.
The researchers cautioned that it is not clear if the technology is cost-effective, although costs are expected to drop with a reduction in the number of hospitalizations.
The study also did not consider the security of patients' personal health data through telemonitoring and telephone reporting (DOTmed News, 8/9).