We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Telemedicine Patient Management Increases Life Expectancy

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 10 Sep 2018
Print article
Image: New research suggests that telemedicine can increase heart failure patient’s longevity (Photo courtesy of Alamy).
Image: New research suggests that telemedicine can increase heart failure patient’s longevity (Photo courtesy of Alamy).
Telemedical interventional management reduces hospitalizations and prolongs the life of patients with heart failure (HF), according to a new study.

Researchers at Charité University Medicine (Charité; Berlin, Germany), University Hospital Würzburg (Germany), and other institutions throughout Germany conducted a prospective, controlled, randomized study to investigate the efficacy of a telemedical interventional management program in 1,538 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 45% or lower. Half of the patients received a remote management intervention in addition to usual care; the other half received usual care only. The primary outcome was unplanned cardiovascular hospital admissions or all-cause death.

Patients in the remote management group received an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring unit with finger clip to measure oxygen saturation; a blood pressure monitor; scales to measure body weight; and a tablet computer to record self-reported health status data. Using the tablet computer, all patient data were transferred automatically to Charité's Telemedical Centre, where a team of doctors and nurses was available to continuously review the transmitted data and initiated specific measures, such as changing the patient's medication, recommending an outpatient visit, or inpatient treatment.

The results revealed that patients in the telemedical intervention group lost significantly fewer days due to unplanned hospitalizations for cardiovascular reasons than patients in the control group (17.8 versus 24.2 days, respectively). All-cause mortality for patients assigned to remote patient management was also significantly lower; over the course of a year, the death rate among patients in the usual care group was approximately 11.3 per 100 person-years, compared to 7.8 per 100 person-years in the telemedical group. The study was published on August 25, 2018, in The Lancet.

“The trial was able to show that the use of telemedicine can increase life expectancy; this finding applied irrespective of whether patients lived in rural areas with inadequate health care infrastructure, or in metropolitan areas,” said senior author Professor Friedrich Koehler, MD, of Charité. “This means that, in addition to improving the overall quality of health care provision, telemedicine is suitable for use as a compensatory strategy to offset regional differences in health care provision between rural and urban areas.”

Telemedicine is essentially a product of 20th century telecommunication and information technologies that permit communications between patient and medical staff with both convenience and fidelity, as well as the transmission of medical, imaging, and health informatics data from one site to another. It is most often used to improve patient, doctor, and nursing staff access to medical services in distant or sparsely populated rural communities.

Related Links:
Charité University Medicine
University Hospital Würzburg
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Thyroid Shield
Standard Thyroid Shield

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel risk score for cardiovascular complications after bone marrow transplant (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Tool Predicts Cardiovascular Risks after Bone Marrow Transplantation

Every year, thousands of people undergo bone marrow transplants to potentially cure serious diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and immune deficiency disorders. While these transplants can be lifesaving,... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System provides visual and audible indicators of the onset and progression of bleeding events (Photo courtesy of Saranas)

Novel Technology Monitors and Lowers Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Heart Procedures

Bleeding complications at the femoral access site can significantly hamper recovery, affecting the success of procedures, patient satisfaction, and overall healthcare costs. It is crucial for surgeons... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.