Bosch Healthcare

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) / Health-related quality of life

In a randomised controlled trial (RCT) conducted at the University of Colorado Hospital (US) health-related quality of life in patients with severe COPD significantly improved after just 12 weeks, with reduced costs at the same time.

Source: Koff PB, Jones RH, Cashman JM, Voelkel NF, Vandivier RW. Proactive integrated care improves quality of life in patients with COPD. Eur Respir J 2009;33:1031-8.

 

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) / Compliance In a preliminary evaluation of the ongoing Dutch TEHAF 2 trial (RCT), telehealth significantly improved disease specific knowledge as well as adherence in terms of fluid restrictions, daily weighing, physical exercising and alcohol restrictions.

Source: Ramaekers BLT, Janssen-Boyne JJ, Gorgels APM, Vrijhoef HJM. Adherence among telemonitored patients with heart failure to pharmacological and non pharmacological recommendations. Telemed J E Health 2009;15:517-24cts

 

Diabetes Mellitus / All-cause mortality

In a health services research study conducted by the US Veteran's Health Administration, the 4-year mortality risk for 387 diabetes patients in a home telehealth programme dropped by 32% (p=0.013) compared to a retrospectively matched control group.

Source: Chumbler NR, Chuang HC, Wu SS, Wang X, Kobb R, Haggstrom D, Jia H. Mortality risk for diabetes patients in a care coordination, home-telehealth programme. J Telemed Telecare 2009;15: 98–101.

Asthma / Limitation in Activity

During a 90-days trial (RCT) 66 children with asthma were randomised to the telehealth group. They were significantly less likely to report any limitation in activity (p=0.03), critical peak flow readings (p=0.01), or to make urgent calls to the hospital (p=0.05) when compared to an equally group of children using an asthma diary.

Source: Guendelman S, Meade K, Benson M, Chen YQ, Samuels S. Improving Asthma Outcomes and Self-Management Behaviors of Inner City Children - A Randomized Trial of the Health Buddy Interactive Device and an Asthma Diary. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156:114-20.

Congestive Heart Failure / Hospital readmissions

Within the SPAN-CHF II trial (RCT) at the Tufts-New England Medical Center (Massachusetts, US) rehospitalisations for heart failure were significantly reduced by 72 (p=0.03) in the group that had disease management plus telehealth compared with disease management alone.

Source: Weintraub AJ, Kimmelstiel C, Levine D, et al. A multicentre randomised controlled comparison of telephonic disease management vs. automated home monitoring in patients recently hospitalised with heart failure - SPAN CHF II trial. Programme and abstracts from the 9th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America, September 18-21, 2005, Boca Raton, Florida.

 

Various Long-Term Conditions / Bed days of care

A case study from the Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) programme carried out by the US Veteran's Health Administration showed for a cohort of over 17,000 people with various long-term conditions a 19.74% reduction in hospital admissions and a 25.31% reduction in bed days of care following enrolment in the programme.

Source: Darkins A, Ryan P, Kobb R, Foster L, Edmonson E, Wakefield B, Lancaster AE. Care Coordination/Home Telehealth: the systematic implementation of health informatics, home telehealth, and disease management to support the care of veteran patients with chronic conditions. Telemed J E Health 2008;14:1118-26.