Telemonitoring Interventions Research Articles

Understanding the Adoption and Diffusion of a Telemonitoring Solution in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundWomen with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) require regular follow-ups and overall management to normalize maternal blood glucose and improve pregnancy outcomes. With the advancements made in the digital field, telemedicine is gaining popularity over traditional health care approaches in different medical fields. As for GDM, telemonitoring solutions seem to improve women’s quality of life and enhance self-management.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to understand, from patients’ and health care professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives, what drives the adoption and diffusion of a telemonitoring solution (myDiabby) in a context where telemonitoring activities are still not compensated like traditional follow-ups.MethodsThe study was conducted in 12 diabetes services in France using myDiabby for monitoring and managing patients with GDM. A qualitative research approach was adopted for collecting and analyzing data. A total of 20 semistructured interviews were conducted with HCPs working in different health structures in France, and 15 semistructured interviews were conducted with patients who had been using myDiabby. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.ResultsDifferent determinants need to be taken into consideration when adopting an innovative health technology. By drawing on the diffusion of innovation theory, a set of factors associated with the technology (the relative advantages, compatibility, ease of use, testability, and observability of the telemedicine platform) has been identified as affecting the adoption and diffusion of telemonitoring solutions in French diabetes services. In addition, data analysis shows a set of environmental factors (the demographic situation of HCPs, the health care access in rural communities, and the economic and political context in France) that also influences the spread and adoption of telemonitoring systems in French hospitals.ConclusionsEven though telemonitoring activities are still not remunerated as traditional follow-ups, many French HCPs support and encourage the adoption of telemonitoring systems in GDM. As for patients, telemonitoring systems are perceived as a useful and easy way to monitor their GDM. This study contributes to recognizing the value of telemonitoring interventions in managing GDM and considering the expansion of telemonitoring to other chronic conditions.

User-Centered Adaptation of an Existing Heart Failure Telemonitoring Program to Ensure Sustainability and Scalability: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundTelemonitoring interventions for the management of heart failure have seen limited adoption in Canadian health systems, but isolated examples of telemonitoring programs do exist. An example of such a program was launched in a specialty heart failure clinic in Toronto, Canada, and a recent implementation evaluation concluded that reducing the cost of delivering the program is necessary to ensure its sustainability and scalability.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to (1) understand which components of the telemonitoring program could be modified to reduce costs and adapted to other contexts while maintaining program fidelity and (2) describe the changes made to the telemonitoring program to enable its sustainability within the initial implementation site and scalability to other health organizations.MethodsSemistructured interviews probed the experiences of patients (n=23) and clinicians (n=8) involved in the telemonitoring program to identify opportunities for cost reduction and resource optimization. Ideas for adapting the program were informed by the interview results and prioritized based on (1) potential impact for sustainability and scalability, (2) feasibility, and (3) perceived risks to negatively impacting the program’s ability to yield desired health outcomes.ResultsA total of 5 themes representing opportunities for cost reduction were discussed, including (1) Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), (2) technical support, (3) clinician role, (4) duration of enrollment, and (5) intensity of monitoring. The hardware used for the telemonitoring system and the modalities of providing technical support were found to be highly adaptable, which supported the decision to implement a BYOD model, whereby patients used their own smartphone, weight scale, and blood pressure cuff. Changes also included the development of a website aimed at reducing the burden on a technical support telehealth analyst. In addition, the interviews suggested that although it is important to have a clinician who is part of a patient’s circle of care monitoring telemonitoring alerts, the skill level and experience were moderately adaptable. Thus, a registered nurse was determined to be more cost-effective and was hired to replace the existing nurse practitioners in the frontline management of telemonitoring alerts and take over the technical support role from a telehealth analyst.ConclusionsThis study provides a user-centered example of how necessary cost-reduction actions can be taken to ensure the sustainability and scalability of telemonitoring programs. In addition, the findings offer insights into what components of a telemonitoring program can be safely adapted to ensure its integration in various clinical settings.

Evaluating the Implementation of a Mobile Phone-Based Telemonitoring Program: Longitudinal Study Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

BackgroundTelemonitoring has shown promise for alleviating the burden of heart failure on individuals and health systems. However, real-world implementation of sustained programs is rare.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a mobile phone–based telemonitoring program, which has been implemented as part of standard care in a specialty heart function clinic by answering two research questions: (1) To what extent was the telemonitoring program successfully implemented? (2) What were the barriers and facilitators to implementing the telemonitoring program?MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal single case study. The implementation success was evaluated using the following four implementation outcomes: adoption, penetration, feasibility, and fidelity. Semistructured interviews based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) were conducted at 0, 4, and 12 months with 12 program staff members to identify the barriers and facilitators of the implementation.ResultsOne year after the implementation, 98 patients and 8 clinicians were enrolled in the program. Despite minor technical issues, the intervention was used as intended. We obtained qualitative data from clinicians (n=8) and implementation staff members (n=4) for 24 CFIR constructs. A total of 12 constructs were facilitators clustered in the CFIR domains of inner setting (culture, tension for change, compatibility, relative priority, learning climate, leadership engagement, and available resources), characteristics of individuals (knowledge and beliefs about the intervention and self-efficacy), and process (engaging and reflecting and evaluating). In addition, we identified other notable facilitators from the characteristics of the intervention domain (relative advantage and adaptability) and the outer setting (patient needs and resources). Four constructs were perceived as minor barriers— the complexity of the intervention, cost, inadequate communication among high-level stakeholders, and the absence of a formal implementation plan. The remaining CFIR constructs had a neutral impact on the overall implementation.ConclusionsThis is the first comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of a mobile phone–based telemonitoring program. Although the acceptability of the telemonitoring system was high, the strongest facilitators to the implementation success were related to the implementation context. By identifying what works and what does not in a real-world clinical context using a framework-guided approach, this work will inform the design of telemonitoring services and implementation strategies of similar telemonitoring interventions.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Nutritional Telemonitoring for Home Care Clients: A Pilot Study.

Undernutrition has unfavorable consequences for health and quality of life. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a telemonitoring intervention to improve the nutritional status of community-dwelling older adults. The study involved a one-group pretest post-test design, complemented by a qualitative study. The 3-month intervention included 20 Dutch home care clients aged >65 years and consisted of nutritional telemonitoring, television messages, and dietary advice. A process evaluation provided insight into intervention delivery and acceptability. Changes in behavioral determinants, diet quality, appetite, nutritional status, physical functioning, and quality of life were assessed. Researchers and health care professionals implemented the intervention as intended and health care professionals accepted the intervention well. However, 9 participants dropped out, and participants' acceptance was low, mainly due to the low usability of the telemonitoring television channel. Adherence to the telemonitoring measurements was good, although participants needed more help from nurses than anticipated. Participants increased compliance to several Dutch dietary guidelines and no effects on nutritional status, physical functioning, and quality of life were found. Successful telemonitoring of nutritional parameters in community-dwelling older adults starts with optimal usability and acceptability by older adults and their health care professionals. This pilot study provides insight into how to optimize telemonitoring interventions for older adults for maximum impact on behavior and health.

Videoconferencing for Management of Heart Failure: An Integrative Review.

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease associated with poor prognosis, poor quality of life (QOL), and high medical costs among older adults. Monitoring symptoms, interpreting symptoms, and decision making are self-care skills required for effective HF management. Telemonitoring (TM) is increasingly used to reduce incidence of symptom exacerbation leading to rehospitalization. An integrative review was performed to describe the efficacy of TM interventions that include videoconferencing (VC) on the HF outcomes of hospital service s use, self-care, and QOL. A review of 11 studies using VC combined with remote physiological monitoring demonstrated promising results in all areas except self-care. Additional research is needed to better specify the goals of VC interventions, the mechanisms by which VC interventions improve health outcomes, and the effect of VC interventions with adults of diverse race and ethnicity. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(4), 45-52.].

Effectiveness of Telemonitoring in Obstetrics: Scoping Review.

BackgroundDespite reported positive results of telemonitoring effectiveness in various health care domains, this new technology is rarely used in prenatal care. A few isolated investigations were performed in the past years but with conflicting results.ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to (1) assess whether telemonitoring adds any substantial benefit to this patient population and (2) identify research gaps in this area to suggest goals for future research.MethodsThis review includes studies exploring the effectiveness of telemonitoring interventions for pregnant women reported in the English language. Due to the paucity of research in this area, all reports including uncontrolled nonrandomized and randomized controlled studies were selected.ResultsFourteen studies, which performed their data collection from 1988 to 2010, met the inclusion criteria and were published from 1995 to present; four of the 14 published papers were multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs), five papers were single-center RCTs, three papers were retrospective studies, one paper was an observational study, and one paper was a qualitative study. Of the 14 papers, nine were available for a risk of bias assessment: three papers were classified as low risk, one as medium risk, and five as high risk. Furthermore, of those 14 papers, 13 focused on telemonitoring for maternal outcomes, and nine of the 14 papers focused on telemonitoring for fetal or neonatal outcomes. The studies reviewed report that telemonitoring can contribute to significant reductions in health care costs, (unscheduled) face-to-face visits, low neonatal birth weight, and admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), as well as prolonged gestational age and improved feelings of maternal satisfaction when compared with a control group. When only studies with low risk of bias were taken into account, the added value of telemonitoring became less pronounced: the only added value of telemonitoring is for pregnant women who transmitted their uterine activity by telecommunication. They had significant prolonged pregnancy survivals, and the newborns were less likely to be of low birth weight or to be admitted to the NICU. Following these results, telemonitoring can only be recommended by pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery. It is however important to consider that these studies were published in the mid-90s, which limits their direct applicability given the current technologies and practice.ConclusionsThis review shows that telemonitoring can be tentatively recommended for pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery. More recent RCTs with a blinded protocol are needed to strengthen the level of evidence around this topic and to have an insight in the added value of the technologies that are available nowadays. In addition, studies investigating patient satisfaction and economic effects in relation to telemonitoring are suggested for future research.

Telehealth Interventions to Support Self-Management of Long-Term Conditions: A Systematic Metareview of Diabetes, Heart Failure, Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Cancer.

BackgroundSelf-management support is one mechanism by which telehealth interventions have been proposed to facilitate management of long-term conditions.ObjectiveThe objectives of this metareview were to (1) assess the impact of telehealth interventions to support self-management on disease control and health care utilization, and (2) identify components of telehealth support and their impact on disease control and the process of self-management. Our goal was to synthesise evidence for telehealth-supported self-management of diabetes (types 1 and 2), heart failure, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer to identify components of effective self-management support.MethodsWe performed a metareview (a systematic review of systematic reviews) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of telehealth interventions to support self-management in 6 exemplar long-term conditions. We searched 7 databases for reviews published from January 2000 to May 2016 and screened identified studies against eligibility criteria. We weighted reviews by quality (revised A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews), size, and relevance. We then combined our results in a narrative synthesis and using harvest plots.ResultsWe included 53 systematic reviews, comprising 232 unique RCTs. Reviews concerned diabetes (type 1: n=6; type 2, n=11; mixed, n=19), heart failure (n=9), asthma (n=8), COPD (n=8), and cancer (n=3). Findings varied between and within disease areas. The highest-weighted reviews showed that blood glucose telemonitoring with feedback and some educational and lifestyle interventions improved glycemic control in type 2, but not type 1, diabetes, and that telemonitoring and telephone interventions reduced mortality and hospital admissions in heart failure, but these findings were not consistent in all reviews. Results for the other conditions were mixed, although no reviews showed evidence of harm. Analysis of the mediating role of self-management, and of components of successful interventions, was limited and inconclusive. More intensive and multifaceted interventions were associated with greater improvements in diabetes, heart failure, and asthma.ConclusionsWhile telehealth-mediated self-management was not consistently superior to usual care, none of the reviews reported any negative effects, suggesting that telehealth is a safe option for delivery of self-management support, particularly in conditions such as heart failure and type 2 diabetes, where the evidence base is more developed. Larger-scale trials of telehealth-supported self-management, based on explicit self-management theory, are needed before the extent to which telehealth technologies may be harnessed to support self-management can be established.

Exacerbations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Identification and Prediction Using a Digital Health System.

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, chronic respiratory disease with a significant socioeconomic burden. Exacerbations, the sudden and sustained worsening of symptoms, can lead to hospitalization and reduce quality of life. Major limitations of previous telemonitoring interventions for COPD include low compliance, lack of consensus on what constitutes an exacerbation, limited numbers of patients, and short monitoring periods. We developed a telemonitoring system based on a digital health platform that was used to collect data from the 1-year EDGE (Self Management and Support Programme) COPD clinical trial aiming at daily monitoring in a heterogeneous group of patients with moderate to severe COPD.ObjectiveThe objectives of the study were as follows: first, to develop a systematic and reproducible approach to exacerbation identification and to track the progression of patient condition during remote monitoring; and second, to develop a robust algorithm able to predict COPD exacerbation, based on vital signs acquired from a pulse oximeter.MethodsWe used data from 110 patients, with a combined monitoring period of more than 35,000 days. We propose a finite-state machine–based approach for modeling COPD exacerbation to gain a deeper insight into COPD patient condition during home monitoring to take account of the time course of symptoms. A robust algorithm based on short-period trend analysis and logistic regression using vital signs derived from a pulse oximeter is also developed to predict exacerbations.ResultsOn the basis of 27,260 sessions recorded during the clinical trial (average usage of 5.3 times per week for 12 months), there were 361 exacerbation events. There was considerable variation in the length of exacerbation events, with a mean length of 8.8 days. The mean value of oxygen saturation was lower, and both the pulse rate and respiratory rate were higher before an impending exacerbation episode, compared with stable periods. On the basis of the classifier developed in this work, prediction of COPD exacerbation episodes with 60%-80% sensitivity will result in 68%-36% specificity.ConclusionsAll 3 vital signs acquired from a pulse oximeter (pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate) are predictive of COPD exacerbation events, with oxygen saturation being the most predictive, followed by respiratory rate and pulse rate. Combination of these vital signs with a robust algorithm based on machine learning leads to further improvement in positive predictive accuracy.Trial RegistrationInternational Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 40367841; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN40367841 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6olpMWNpc)

Comparative effectiveness of transitional care services in patients discharged from the hospital with heart failure: a systematic review and network meta‐analysis

To compare the effectiveness of transitional care services in decreasing all-cause death and all-cause readmissions following hospitalization for heart failure (HF). We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Clinical Trials Register for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in 2000-2015 that tested the efficacy of transitional care services in patients hospitalized for HF, provided ≥1 month of follow-up, and reported all-cause mortality or all-cause readmissions. Our network meta-analysis included 53 RCTs (12 356 patients). Among services that significantly decreased all-cause mortality compared with usual care, nurse home visits were most effective [ranking P-score 0.6794; relative risk (RR) 0.78, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.62-0.98], followed by disease management clinics (DMCs) (ranking P-score 0.6368; RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.97). Among services that significantly decreased all-cause readmission, nurse home visits were most effective [ranking P-score 0.8365; incident rate ratio (IRR) 0.65, 95% CI 0.49-0.86], followed by nurse case management (NCM) (ranking P-score 0.6168; IRR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.95), and DMCs (ranking P-score 0.5691; IRR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.97). There was no significant difference in the comparative effectiveness of services that improved each outcome. Nurse home visits had the greatest pooled cost-savings (3810 USD, 95% CI 3682-3937), followed by NCM (3435 USD, 95% CI 3224-3645), and DMCs (245 USD, 95% CI -70 to 559). Telephone, telemonitoring, pharmacist, and education interventions did not significantly improve clinical outcomes. Nurse home visits and DMCs decrease all-cause mortality after hospitalization for HF. Along with NCM, they also reduce all-cause readmissions, with no significant difference in comparative effectiveness. These services reduce healthcare system costs to varying degrees.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Telemonitoring Interventions for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Germany.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) poses major challenges for health care systems. Previous studies suggest that telemonitoring could be effective in preventing hospitalisations and hence reduce costs. The aim was to evaluate whether telemonitoring interventions for COPD are cost-effective from the perspective of German statutory sickness funds. A cost-utility analysis was conducted using a combination of a Markov model and a decision tree. Telemonitoring as add-on to standard treatment was compared with standard treatment alone. The model consisted of four transition stages to account for COPD severity, and a terminal stage for death. Within each cycle, the frequency of exacerbations as well as outcomes for 2015 costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) for each stage were calculated. Values for input parameters were taken from the literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. In the base case, telemonitoring led to an increase in incremental costs (€866 per patient) but also in incremental QALYs (0.05 per patient). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was thus €17,410 per QALY gained. A deterministic sensitivity analysis showed that hospitalisation rate and costs for telemonitoring equipment greatly affected results. The probabilistic ICER averaged €34,432 per QALY (95% confidence interval 12,161-56,703). We provide evidence that telemonitoring may be cost-effective in Germany from a payer's point of view. This holds even after deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

A qualitative analysis to optimize a telemonitoring intervention for heart failure patients from disparity communities.

BackgroundThe use of telemonitoring is a promising approach to optimizing outcomes in the treatment of heart failure (HF) for patients living in the community. HF telemonitoring interventions, however, have not been tested for use with individuals residing in disparity communities.MethodsThe current study describes the results of a community based participatory research approach to adapting a telemonitoring HF intervention so that it is acceptable and feasible for use with a lower-income, Black and Hispanic patient population. The study uses the ADAPT-ITT framework to engage key community stakeholders in the process of adapting the intervention in the context of two consecutive focus groups. In addition, data from a third focus group involving HF telemonitoring patient participants was also conducted. All three focus group discussions were audio recorded and professionally transcribed and lasted approximately two hours each. Structural coding was used to mark responses to topical questions in the interview guide.ResultsThis is the first study to describe the formative process of a community-based participatory research study aimed at optimizing telehealth utilization among African-American and Latino patients from disparity communities. Two major themes emerged from qualitative analyses of the focus group data. The first theme that arose involved suggested changes to the equipment that would maximize usability. Subthemes identified included issues that reflect the patient populations targeted, such as Spanish translation, font size and medical jargon. The second theme that arose involved suggested changes to the RCT study structure in order to maximize participant engagement. Subthemes also identified issues that reflect concerns of the targeted patient populations, such as the provision of reassurances regarding identity protection to undocumented patients in implementing an intervention that utilizes a camera, and that their involvement in telehealth monitoring would not replace their clinic care, which for many disparity patients is their only connection to medical care.ConclusionsThe adaptation, based on the analysis of the data from the three focus groups, resulted in an intervention that is acceptable and feasible for HF patients residing in disparity communities.Trial registrationNCT02196922; ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Institutes of Health).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12911-016-0300-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Use of predictive algorithms in-home monitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: A systematic review.

Major reported factors associated with the limited effectiveness of home telemonitoring interventions in chronic respiratory conditions include the lack of useful early predictors, poor patient compliance and the poor performance of conventional algorithms for detecting deteriorations. This article provides a systematic review of existing algorithms and the factors associated with their performance in detecting exacerbations and supporting clinical decisions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma. An electronic literature search in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane library was conducted to identify relevant articles published between 2005 and July 2015. A total of 20 studies (16 COPD, 4 asthma) that included research about the use of algorithms in telemonitoring interventions in asthma and COPD were selected. Differences on the applied definition of exacerbation, telemonitoring duration, acquired physiological signals and symptoms, type of technology deployed and algorithms used were found. Predictive models with good clinically reliability have yet to be defined, and are an important goal for the future development of telehealth in chronic respiratory conditions. New predictive models incorporating both symptoms and physiological signals are being tested in telemonitoring interventions with positive outcomes. However, the underpinning algorithms behind these models need be validated in larger samples of patients, for longer periods of time and with well-established protocols. In addition, further research is needed to identify novel predictors that enable the early detection of deteriorations, especially in COPD. Only then will telemonitoring achieve the aim of preventing hospital admissions, contributing to the reduction of health resource utilization and improving the quality of life of patients.

A Remote Medication Monitoring System for Chronic Heart Failure Patients to Reduce Readmissions: A Two-Arm Randomized Pilot Study.

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is a chronic condition affecting nearly 5.7 million Americans and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. With an aging population, the cost associated with managing HF is expected to more than double from US $31 billion in 2012 to US $70 billion by 2030. Readmission rates for HF patients are high—25% are readmitted at 30 days and nearly 50% at 6 months. Low medication adherence contributes to poor HF management and higher readmission rates. Remote telehealth monitoring programs aimed at improved medication management and adherence may improve HF management and reduce readmissions.ObjectiveThe primary goal of this randomized controlled pilot study is to compare the MedSentry remote medication monitoring system versus usual care in older HF adult patients who recently completed a HF telemonitoring program. We hypothesized that remote medication monitoring would be associated with fewer unplanned hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits, increased medication adherence, and improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to usual care.MethodsParticipants were randomized to usual care or use of the remote medication monitoring system for 90 days. Twenty-nine participants were enrolled and the final analytic sample consisted of 25 participants. Participants completed questionnaires at enrollment and closeout to gather data on medication adherence, health status, and HRQoL. Electronic medical records were reviewed for data on baseline classification of heart function and the number of unplanned hospitalizations and ED visits during the study period.ResultsUse of the medication monitoring system was associated with an 80% reduction in the risk of all-cause hospitalization and a significant decrease in the number of all-cause hospitalization length of stay in the intervention arm compared to usual care. Objective device data indicated high adherence rates (95%-99%) among intervention group participants despite finding no significant difference in self-reported adherence between study arms. The intervention group had poorer heart function and HRQoL at baseline, and HRQoL declined significantly in the intervention group compared to controls.ConclusionsThe MedSentry medication monitoring system is a promising technology that merits continued development and evaluation. The MedSentry medication monitoring system may be useful both as a standalone system for patients with complex medication regimens or used to complement existing HF telemonitoring interventions. We found significant reductions in risk of all-cause hospitalization and the number of all-cause length of stay in the intervention group compared to controls. Although HRQoL deteriorated significantly in the intervention group, this may have been due to the poorer HF-functioning at baseline in the intervention group compared to controls. Telehealth medication adherence technologies, such as the MedSentry medication monitoring system, are a promising method to improve patient self-management,the quality of patient care, and reduce health care utilization and expenditure for patients with HF and other chronic diseases that require complex medication regimens.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01814696; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01814696 (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6giqAVhno)

Augmenting Telemonitoring Interventions by Targeting Patient Needs in a Primarily Hispanic Underserved Population.

Underserved Hispanic patients are particularly vulnerable to problems associated with controlling diabetes. Hispanics not only are more susceptible to developing diabetes, but also have higher A1C values (1) and more severe diabetes-related complications. Hispanic Americans are 2.6 times more likely to start treatment for diabetes-related end-stage renal disease and have a 50% higher mortality rate than non-Hispanic whites (2). According to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, the prevalence of diabetes in the United States is 10.2% in South Americans, 13.4% in Cubans, 17.7% in Central Americans, 18% in Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, and 18.3% in Mexicans (3). Total yearly costs in 2010 for Hispanics with diabetes totaled $49.8 billion and are estimated to reach $109.9 billion in 2025 because of an expected 111% increase in diabetes cases (4). Many diabetes patients, including Hispanics, are overwhelmed by the high treatment burden of self-care demands (5). A retail pharmacy survey of individuals in five states found that many individuals with diabetes lack a focused management plan and may also be confused about specific health care issues (6). One particular obstacle is nonadherence to diabetes treatments. Hispanic patients have exhibited nonadherence behaviors related to their diabetes treatment, including medication nonadherence (7,8). Nonadherence is very costly (9), and savings of $5 billion annually are possible with improved medication adherence on the part of non-Hispanic and Hispanic patients alike. This could result in 341,000 fewer hospitalizations and 700,000 fewer emergency room visits (10). One tactic to mitigate nonadherence has been to involve pharmacists in diabetes management, particularly in primary care settings, where diabetes is a common diagnosis (11). Studies demonstrating the benefit of pharmacists in diabetes care and of their expertise in medication management highlight their importance as interdisciplinary team members (12–17). Including pharmacists in team-based …

Evaluation of the efficacy of a nurse practitioner-led home-based congestive heart failure clinical pathway

ABSTRACTFrequent exacerbations of symptoms and financial penalties for 30-day hospital readmissions of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) have led to new disease management approaches. A nurse practitioner (NP)-led interdisciplinary program for CHF management that included home telemonitoring and early NP assessments and interventions was piloted by a home health agency. A 4-month evaluation of the efficacy of a clinical pathway for CHF patients resulted in the enrollment of 22 CHF patients in the program. Two clients were readmitted within 30 days. The new program was effective in reducing 30-day readmission rates to 9% compared to the national average of 23%.

Computerised Analysis of Telemonitored Respiratory Sounds for Predicting Acute Exacerbations of COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the commonest causes of death in the world and poses a substantial burden on healthcare systems and patients’ quality of life. The largest component of the related healthcare costs is attributable to admissions due to acute exacerbation (AECOPD). The evidence that might support the effectiveness of the telemonitoring interventions in COPD is limited partially due to the lack of useful predictors for the early detection of AECOPD. Electronic stethoscopes and computerised analyses of respiratory sounds (CARS) techniques provide an opportunity for substantial improvement in the management of respiratory diseases. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using: (a) a respiratory sensor embedded in a self-tailored housing for ageing users; (b) a telehealth framework; (c) CARS and (d) machine learning techniques for the remote early detection of the AECOPD. In a 6-month pilot study, 16 patients with COPD were equipped with a home base-station and a sensor to daily record their respiratory sounds. Principal component analysis (PCA) and a support vector machine (SVM) classifier was designed to predict AECOPD. 75.8% exacerbations were early detected with an average of 5 ± 1.9 days in advance at medical attention. The proposed method could provide support to patients, physicians and healthcare systems.

Effects of Home Telemonitoring Interventions on Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

BackgroundGrowing interest on the effects of home telemonitoring on patients with chronic heart failure (HF) has led to a rise in the number of systematic reviews addressing the same or very similar research questions with a concomitant increase in discordant findings. Differences in the scope, methods of analysis, and methodological quality of systematic reviews can cause great confusion and make it difficult for policy makers and clinicians to access and interpret the available evidence and for researchers to know where knowledge gaps in the extant literature exist.ObjectiveThis overview aims to collect, appraise, and synthesize existing evidence from multiple systematic reviews on the effectiveness of home telemonitoring interventions for patients with chronic heart failure (HF) to inform policy makers, practitioners, and researchers.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library to identify all relevant, peer-reviewed systematic reviews published between January 1996 and December 2013. Reviews were searched and screened using explicit keywords and inclusion criteria. Standardized forms were used to extract data and the methodological quality of included reviews was appraised using the AMSTAR (assessing methodological quality of systematic reviews) instrument. Summary of findings tables were constructed for all primary outcomes of interest, and quality of evidence was graded by outcome using the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system. Post-hoc analysis and subgroup meta-analyses were conducted to gain further insights into the various types of home telemonitoring technologies included in the systematic reviews and the impact of these technologies on clinical outcomes.ResultsA total of 15 reviews published between 2003 and 2013 were selected for meta-level synthesis. Evidence from high-quality reviews with meta-analysis indicated that taken collectively, home telemonitoring interventions reduce the relative risk of all-cause mortality (0.60 to 0.85) and heart failure-related hospitalizations (0.64 to 0.86) compared with usual care. Absolute risk reductions ranged from 1.4%-6.5% and 3.7%-8.2%, respectively. Improvements in HF-related hospitalizations appeared to be more pronounced in patients with stable HF: hazard ratio (HR) 0.70 (95% credible interval [Crl] 0.34-1.5]). Risk reductions in mortality and all-cause hospitalizations appeared to be greater in patients who had been recently discharged (≤28 days) from an acute care setting after a recent HF exacerbation: HR 0.62 (95% CrI 0.42-0.89) and HR 0.67 (95% CrI 0.42-0.97), respectively. However, quality of evidence for these outcomes ranged from moderate to low suggesting that further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the observed estimates of effect and may change these estimates. The post-hoc analysis identified five main types of non-invasive telemonitoring technologies included in the systematic reviews: (1) video-consultation, with or without transmission of vital signs, (2) mobile telemonitoring, (3) automated device-based telemonitoring, (4) interactive voice response, and (5) Web-based telemonitoring. Of these, only automated device-based telemonitoring and mobile telemonitoring were effective in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality and HF-related hospitalizations. More research data are required for interactive voice response systems, video-consultation, and Web-based telemonitoring to provide robust conclusions about their effectiveness.ConclusionsFuture research should focus on understanding the process by which home telemonitoring works in terms of improving outcomes, identify optimal strategies and the duration of follow-up for which it confers benefits, and further investigate whether there is differential effectiveness between chronic HF patient groups and types of home telemonitoring technologies.

Determinants of frequent Internet use in an urban kidney transplant population in the United States: characterizing the digital divide.

The Internet is a staple of electronic communication and is essential to the emerging telemonitoring and health information technology interventions for adults with chronic diseases. To identify determinants of frequent Internet use in an urban kidney transplant population in the United States. A single center, cross-sectional survey study. An urban Midwestern transplant center. 78 pretransplant and 177 posttransplant patients. Frequent Internet use, defined as using the Internet more than 5 hours per week. Only 38% of participants reported being frequent Internet users. Non-Hispanic blacks and participants who reported their race/ethnicity as "other" were significantly less likely than whites to report being frequent Internet users. Women were 59% less likely than men to be frequent users of the Internet. Those who reported having kidney disease for more than 3 years were more likely to report being frequent Internet users. As education increased, Internet use increased. As age increased, Internet use decreased. Alternatives to electronic information sources and/or additional resources should be considered for those who may fall in the so-called digital divide.

Is age a factor in the success or failure of remote monitoring in heart failure? Telemonitoring and structured telephone support in elderly heart failure patients

There are few data regarding the effectiveness of remote monitoring for older people with heart failure. We conducted a post-hoc sub-analysis of a previously published large Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant randomized controlled trials to determine whether structured telephone support and telemonitoring were effective in this population. A post hoc sub-analysis of a systematic review and meta-analysis that applied the Cochrane methodology was conducted. Meta-analyses of all-cause mortality, all-cause hospitalizations and heart failure-related hospitalizations were performed for studies where the mean or median age of participants was 70 or more years. The mean or median age of participants was 70 or more years in eight of the 16 (n=2659/5613; 47%) structured telephone support studies and four of the 11 (n=894/2710; 33%) telemonitoring studies. Structured telephone support (RR 0.80; 95% CI=0.63-1.00) and telemonitoring (RR 0.56; 95% CI=0.41-0.76) interventions reduced mortality. Structured telephone support interventions reduced heart failure-related hospitalizations (RR 0.81; 95% CI=0.67-0.99). Despite a systematic bias towards recruitment of individuals younger than the epidemiological average into the randomized controlled trials, older people with heart failure did benefit from structured telephone support and telemonitoring. These post-hoc sub-analysis results were similar to overall effects observed in the main meta-analysis. While further research is required to confirm these observational findings, the evidence at hand indicates that discrimination by age alone may be not be appropriate when inviting participation in a remote monitoring service for heart failure.

Telemonitoring can assist in managing cardiovascular disease in primary care: a systematic review of systematic reviews

BackgroundThere has been growing interest regarding the impact of telemonitoring and its ability to reduce the increasing burden of chronic diseases, including chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD), on healthcare systems. A number of randomised trials have been undertaken internationally and synthesised into various systematic reviews to establish an evidence base for this model of care. This study sought to synthesise and critically evaluate this large body of evidence to inform clinicians, researchers and policy makers.MethodsA systematic review of systematic reviews investigating the impact of telemonitoring interventions in the primary care management of CVD was conducted. Reviews were included if they explored primary care based telemonitoring in either CVD, heart failure or hypertension, were reported in the English language and were published between 2000 and 2013. Data was extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer using a standardised form. Two assessors then rated the quality of each review using the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire (OQAQ).ResultsOf the 13 included reviews, four focused on telemonitoring interventions in hypertension or CVD management and the remaining 9 reviews investigated telemonitoring in HF management. Seven reviews scored a five or above on the OQAQ evidencing good quality reviews. Findings suggest that telemonitoring can contribute to significant reductions in blood pressure, decreased all-cause and HF related hospitalisations, reduced all-cause mortality and improved quality of life. Telemonitoring was also demonstrated to reduce health care costs and appears acceptable to patients.ConclusionTelemonitoring has the potential to enhance primary care management of CVD by improving patient outcomes and reducing health costs. However, further research needs to explore the specific elements of telemonitoring interventions to determine the relative value of the various elements. Additionally, the ways in which telemonitoring care improves health outcomes needs to be further explored to understand the nature of these interventions.