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Alanzi TM. Impact of ChatGPT on Teleconsultants in Healthcare: Perceptions of Healthcare Experts in Saudi Arabia. J Multidiscip Healthc 2023; 16:2309-2321. [PMID: 37601325 PMCID: PMC10438433 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s419847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on teleconsultants in managing their operations and services. Methods A qualitative approach with focus groups is adopted in this study. A total of 54 participants with varying degrees of experience using AI such as ChatGPT in healthcare, including 11 physicians, 24 nurses, eight dieticians, six pharmacists, and five physiotherapists providing teleconsultations participated in this study. Results Twelve themes including informational support, diagnostic assistance, communication, enhancing efficiency, cost and time saving, personalizing care, multilingual support, assisting in medical research, decision-making, documentation, continuing education, and enhanced team collaboration reflecting positive impact were identified from the data analysis of seven focus groups. In addition, six themes including misdiagnosis and errors, issues in personalized care, ethical and legal issues, limited medical context/knowledge, communication challenges, and increased dependency reflecting negative impact were identified. Conclusion Although ChatGPT has several advantages for teleconsultants in the healthcare sector, it is associated with ethical issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Turki M Alanzi
- Health Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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Marwaha JS, Chen HW, Habashy K, Choi J, Spain DA, Brat GA. Appraising the Quality of Development and Reporting in Surgical Prediction Models. JAMA Surg 2023; 158:214-216. [PMID: 36449299 PMCID: PMC9713676 DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2022.4488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This cross-sectional study uses the Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis reporting guideline to assess 120 published studies about surgical prediction models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayson S Marwaha
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hao Wei Chen
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karl Habashy
- American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Jeff Choi
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - David A Spain
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Gabriel A Brat
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Maria ARJ, Serra H, Heleno B. Teleconsultations and their implications for health care: A qualitative study on patients' and physicians' perceptions. Int J Med Inform 2022; 162:104751. [PMID: 35339887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digitization in everyday medical practice has gained importance along with the drive to expand teleconsultations arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous qualitative research on teleconsultations has focused on synchronous communication between patients and clinicians. This study aims to explore physicians' and patients' perspectives on the adoption of teleconsultations between primary care and the referral cardiology department. METHODS Participants were recruited for semi-structured interviews between September 2019 and January 2020. The interviews were audio-recorded and pseudonymized. The transcribed interviews were stored, coded, and content analysis was performed in MAXQDA. RESULTS A total of 29 participants were interviewed. Patients and physicians merged in their views on 'process' issues, i.e., those concerning a better prioritization of patients and an improved collaborative practice, albeit with possible technological constraints. Physicians recognized that teleconsultations presented an educational opportunity for managing patients' health problems. Our findings suggest that not all patients would require equally intensive collaborative activities across the health system. The barriers described included difficulties using the system (technical issues) and concerns about workload as a consequence of the disruption of traditional clinical routines. Increasing the range of collaborative strategies available to health care providers may require a broader assessment of the way that care processes are structured between levels of care. Patients revealed strong support for teleconsultation on the grounds of interprofessional collaboration and avoidance of unnecessary hospital visits. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of teleconsultations between levels of care may be facilitated when patients, caregivers and physicians see the added value of this service, that adequate resources are put in place and that there is flexible implementation. This work adds an in-depth understanding of participants' perceptions of this intervention in a case study. Obtaining context-dependent knowledge will help program leaders better understand how to establish telemedicine services as a real-world sustainable option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita J Maria
- Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and Tagus Valley Teaching Assistant and PhD Student at Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Helena Serra
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences (CICS. NOVA), NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruno Heleno
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Nova Medical School Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa General Practitioner, Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Lisbon, Portugal
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Sounderajah V, Normahani P, Aggarwal R, Jayakumar S, Markar SR, Ashrafian H, Darzi A. Reporting Standards and Quality Assessment Tools in Artificial Intelligence–Centered Healthcare Research. Artif Intell Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-64573-1_34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Sounderajah V, Normahani P, Aggarwal R, Jayakumar S, Markar SR, Ashrafian H, Darzi A. Reporting Standards and Quality Assessment Tools in Artificial Intelligence Centered Healthcare Research. Artif Intell Med 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-58080-3_34-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Dierckx R, Inglis SC, Clark RA, Prieto-Merino D, Cleland JGF. Telemedicine in heart failure: new insights from the Cochrane meta-analyses. Eur J Heart Fail 2018; 19:304-306. [PMID: 28251777 DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Riet Dierckx
- Cardiovascular Centre, OLV Hospital, Aalst, Belgium
| | - Sally C Inglis
- Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robyn A Clark
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - David Prieto-Merino
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - John G F Cleland
- Robertson Centre for Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, University of Glasgow and National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Yun JE, Park JE, Park HY, Lee HY, Park DA. Comparative Effectiveness of Telemonitoring Versus Usual Care for Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Card Fail 2017; 24:19-28. [PMID: 28939459 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2017.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of telemonitoring (TM) in the management of patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS We searched Ovid-Medline, Ovid-Embase, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials published through May 2016. Outcomes of interest included clinical effectiveness (mortality, hospitalization, and emergency department visits) and patient-reported outcomes. TM was defined as the transmission of individual biologic data, such as weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. Thirty-seven randomized controlled trials (9582 patients) of TM met the inclusion criteria: 24 studies on all-cause mortality, 17 studies on all-cause hospitalization, 12 studies on HF-related hospitalization, and 5 studies on HF-related mortality. The risks of all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.94) and HF-related mortality (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50-0.91) were significantly lower in the TM group than in the usual care group. TM showed a significant benefit when ≥3 biologic data are transmitted or when transmission occurred daily. TM also reduced mortality risk in studies that monitored patients' symptoms, medication adherence, or prescription changes. CONCLUSIONS TM intervention reduces the mortality risk in patients with HF, and intensive monitoring with more frequent transmissions of patient data increases its effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Eun Yun
- Division of Healthcare Technology Assessment Research, National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Eun Park
- Division of Healthcare Technology Assessment Research, National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Young Park
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Institute of Health, Cheongju-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Young Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Ah Park
- Division of Healthcare Technology Assessment Research, National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract
The interface between eHealth technologies and disease management in chronic conditions such as chronic heart failure (CHF) has advanced beyond the research domain. The substantial morbidity, mortality, health resource utilization and costs imposed by chronic disease, accompanied by increasing prevalence, complex comorbidities and changing client and health staff demographics, have pushed the boundaries of eHealth to alleviate costs whilst maintaining services. Whilst the intentions are laudable and the technology is appealing, this nonetheless requires careful scrutiny. This review aims to describe this technology and explore the current evidence and measures to enhance its implementation.
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Lv MY, Deng SL, Long XF. Retraction. rhBNP therapy can improve clinical outcomes and reduce in-hospital mortality compared with dobutamine in heart failure patients: a meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2015; 81:174-85. [PMID: 26382927 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS A meta-analysis was performed to compare the therapeutic outcomes in patients treated for heart failure (HF) with recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) and dobutamine. METHODS PubMed, Embase and the Chinese Biomedical Database were exhaustively searched to identify studies relevant to this meta-analysis. Eight cohort studies were found suitable for inclusion. Data regarding trial validity, methodological processes and clinical outcomes were extracted. RESULTS Patients treated with rhBNP showed statistically significant reduction of in-hospital mortality and re-admission rates compared with the dobutamine treated patient group (both P < 0.05). Further, the rhBNP treated patient group showed higher survival outcomes, compared with dobutamine treated patients, when the post-treatment follow-up period was longer than 6 months (P < 0.05). Stratified analysis based on ethnicity showed a dramatic decrease of in-hospital mortality among mixed race HF patients receiving rhBNP treatment (P < 0.05), but such decreases were not statistically significant in Asian and Caucasian populations (both P > 0.05). On the other hand, re-admission rates were significantly lower in rhBNP treated Caucasian and mixed race populations (both P < 0.05). Notably, in rhBNP treated group, dose levels of 0.015 and 0.03 incrementally lowered the re-admission rates, displaying dose effect, and the re-admission rates at both rhBNP doses were significantly lower than the dobutamine treated group (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis results suggested that rhBNP therapy is associated with lower in-hospital mortality and re-admission rates in HF patients compared to the dobutamine regimen. Nevertheless, large scale prospective, randomized trials are necessary to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Yi Lv
- Department of Internal Medicine, ICU, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, 116000, Liaoning Province, P.R. China
| | - Shu-Ling Deng
- Department of Internal Medicine, ICU, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, 116000, Liaoning Province, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Feng Long
- Department of Internal Medicine, ICU, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, 116000, Liaoning Province, P.R. China
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Flodgren G, Rachas A, Farmer AJ, Inzitari M, Shepperd S. Interactive telemedicine: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. THE COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS 2015. [PMID: 26343551 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd002098.pub2.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telemedicine (TM) is the use of telecommunication systems to deliver health care at a distance. It has the potential to improve patient health outcomes, access to health care and reduce healthcare costs. As TM applications continue to evolve it is important to understand the impact TM might have on patients, healthcare professionals and the organisation of care. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness, acceptability and costs of interactive TM as an alternative to, or in addition to, usual care (i.e. face-to-face care, or telephone consultation). SEARCH METHODS We searched the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group's specialised register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, five other databases and two trials registers to June 2013, together with reference checking, citation searching, handsearching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA We considered randomised controlled trials of interactive TM that involved direct patient-provider interaction and was delivered in addition to, or substituting for, usual care compared with usual care alone, to participants with any clinical condition. We excluded telephone only interventions and wholly automatic self-management TM interventions. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS For each condition, we pooled outcome data that were sufficiently homogenous using fixed effect meta-analysis. We reported risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dichotomous outcomes, and mean differences (MD) for continuous outcomes. MAIN RESULTS We included 93 eligible trials (N = 22,047 participants), which evaluated the effectiveness of interactive TM delivered in addition to (32% of studies), as an alternative to (57% of studies), or partly substituted for usual care (11%) as compared to usual care alone.The included studies recruited patients with the following clinical conditions: cardiovascular disease (36), diabetes (21), respiratory conditions (9), mental health or substance abuse conditions (7), conditions requiring a specialist consultation (6), co morbidities (3), urogenital conditions (3), neurological injuries and conditions (2), gastrointestinal conditions (2), neonatal conditions requiring specialist care (2), solid organ transplantation (1), and cancer (1).Telemedicine provided remote monitoring (55 studies), or real-time video-conferencing (38 studies), which was used either alone or in combination. The main TM function varied depending on clinical condition, but fell typically into one of the following six categories, with some overlap: i) monitoring of a chronic condition to detect early signs of deterioration and prompt treatment and advice, (41); ii) provision of treatment or rehabilitation (12), for example the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy, or incontinence training; iii) education and advice for self-management (23), for example nurses delivering education to patients with diabetes or providing support to parents of very low birth weight infants or to patients with home parenteral nutrition; iv) specialist consultations for diagnosis and treatment decisions (8), v) real-time assessment of clinical status, for example post-operative assessment after minor operation or follow-up after solid organ transplantation (8) vi), screening, for angina (1).The type of data transmitted by the patient, the frequency of data transfer, (e.g. telephone, e-mail, SMS) and frequency of interactions between patient and healthcare provider varied across studies, as did the type of healthcare provider/s and healthcare system involved in delivering the intervention.We found no difference between groups for all-cause mortality for patients with heart failure (16 studies; N = 5239; RR:0.89, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.03, P = 0.12; I(2) = 44%) (moderate to high certainty of evidence) at a median of six months follow-up. Admissions to hospital (11 studies; N = 4529) ranged from a decrease of 64% to an increase of 60% at median eight months follow-up (moderate certainty of evidence). We found some evidence of improved quality of life (five studies; N = 482; MD:-4.39, 95% CI -7.94 to -0.83; P < 0.02; I(2) = 0%) (moderate certainty of evidence) for those allocated to TM as compared with usual care at a median three months follow-up. In studies recruiting participants with diabetes (16 studies; N = 2768) we found lower glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c %) levels in those allocated to TM than in controls (MD -0.31, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.24; P < 0.00001; I(2)= 42%, P = 0.04) (high certainty of evidence) at a median of nine months follow-up. We found some evidence for a decrease in LDL (four studies, N = 1692; MD -12.45, 95% CI -14.23 to -10.68; P < 0.00001; I(2 =) 0%) (moderate certainty of evidence), and blood pressure (four studies, N = 1770: MD: SBP:-4.33, 95% CI -5.30 to -3.35, P < 0.00001; I(2) = 17%; DBP: -2.75 95% CI -3.28 to -2.22, P < 0.00001; I(2) = 45% (moderate certainty evidence), in TM as compared with usual care.Seven studies that recruited participants with different mental health and substance abuse problems, reported no differences in the effect of therapy delivered over video-conferencing, as compared to face-to-face delivery. Findings from the other studies were inconsistent; there was some evidence that monitoring via TM improved blood pressure control in participants with hypertension, and a few studies reported improved symptom scores for those with a respiratory condition. Studies recruiting participants requiring mental health services and those requiring specialist consultation for a dermatological condition reported no differences between groups. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The findings in our review indicate that the use of TM in the management of heart failure appears to lead to similar health outcomes as face-to-face or telephone delivery of care; there is evidence that TM can improve the control of blood glucose in those with diabetes. The cost to a health service, and acceptability by patients and healthcare professionals, is not clear due to limited data reported for these outcomes. The effectiveness of TM may depend on a number of different factors, including those related to the study population e.g. the severity of the condition and the disease trajectory of the participants, the function of the intervention e.g., if it is used for monitoring a chronic condition, or to provide access to diagnostic services, as well as the healthcare provider and healthcare system involved in delivering the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Flodgren
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK, OX3 7LF
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Flodgren G, Rachas A, Farmer AJ, Inzitari M, Shepperd S. Interactive telemedicine: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 2015:CD002098. [PMID: 26343551 PMCID: PMC6473731 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd002098.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 342] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telemedicine (TM) is the use of telecommunication systems to deliver health care at a distance. It has the potential to improve patient health outcomes, access to health care and reduce healthcare costs. As TM applications continue to evolve it is important to understand the impact TM might have on patients, healthcare professionals and the organisation of care. OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness, acceptability and costs of interactive TM as an alternative to, or in addition to, usual care (i.e. face-to-face care, or telephone consultation). SEARCH METHODS We searched the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group's specialised register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, five other databases and two trials registers to June 2013, together with reference checking, citation searching, handsearching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA We considered randomised controlled trials of interactive TM that involved direct patient-provider interaction and was delivered in addition to, or substituting for, usual care compared with usual care alone, to participants with any clinical condition. We excluded telephone only interventions and wholly automatic self-management TM interventions. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS For each condition, we pooled outcome data that were sufficiently homogenous using fixed effect meta-analysis. We reported risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dichotomous outcomes, and mean differences (MD) for continuous outcomes. MAIN RESULTS We included 93 eligible trials (N = 22,047 participants), which evaluated the effectiveness of interactive TM delivered in addition to (32% of studies), as an alternative to (57% of studies), or partly substituted for usual care (11%) as compared to usual care alone.The included studies recruited patients with the following clinical conditions: cardiovascular disease (36), diabetes (21), respiratory conditions (9), mental health or substance abuse conditions (7), conditions requiring a specialist consultation (6), co morbidities (3), urogenital conditions (3), neurological injuries and conditions (2), gastrointestinal conditions (2), neonatal conditions requiring specialist care (2), solid organ transplantation (1), and cancer (1).Telemedicine provided remote monitoring (55 studies), or real-time video-conferencing (38 studies), which was used either alone or in combination. The main TM function varied depending on clinical condition, but fell typically into one of the following six categories, with some overlap: i) monitoring of a chronic condition to detect early signs of deterioration and prompt treatment and advice, (41); ii) provision of treatment or rehabilitation (12), for example the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy, or incontinence training; iii) education and advice for self-management (23), for example nurses delivering education to patients with diabetes or providing support to parents of very low birth weight infants or to patients with home parenteral nutrition; iv) specialist consultations for diagnosis and treatment decisions (8), v) real-time assessment of clinical status, for example post-operative assessment after minor operation or follow-up after solid organ transplantation (8) vi), screening, for angina (1).The type of data transmitted by the patient, the frequency of data transfer, (e.g. telephone, e-mail, SMS) and frequency of interactions between patient and healthcare provider varied across studies, as did the type of healthcare provider/s and healthcare system involved in delivering the intervention.We found no difference between groups for all-cause mortality for patients with heart failure (16 studies; N = 5239; RR:0.89, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.03, P = 0.12; I(2) = 44%) (moderate to high certainty of evidence) at a median of six months follow-up. Admissions to hospital (11 studies; N = 4529) ranged from a decrease of 64% to an increase of 60% at median eight months follow-up (moderate certainty of evidence). We found some evidence of improved quality of life (five studies; N = 482; MD:-4.39, 95% CI -7.94 to -0.83; P < 0.02; I(2) = 0%) (moderate certainty of evidence) for those allocated to TM as compared with usual care at a median three months follow-up. In studies recruiting participants with diabetes (16 studies; N = 2768) we found lower glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c %) levels in those allocated to TM than in controls (MD -0.31, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.24; P < 0.00001; I(2)= 42%, P = 0.04) (high certainty of evidence) at a median of nine months follow-up. We found some evidence for a decrease in LDL (four studies, N = 1692; MD -12.45, 95% CI -14.23 to -10.68; P < 0.00001; I(2 =) 0%) (moderate certainty of evidence), and blood pressure (four studies, N = 1770: MD: SBP:-4.33, 95% CI -5.30 to -3.35, P < 0.00001; I(2) = 17%; DBP: -2.75 95% CI -3.28 to -2.22, P < 0.00001; I(2) = 45% (moderate certainty evidence), in TM as compared with usual care.Seven studies that recruited participants with different mental health and substance abuse problems, reported no differences in the effect of therapy delivered over video-conferencing, as compared to face-to-face delivery. Findings from the other studies were inconsistent; there was some evidence that monitoring via TM improved blood pressure control in participants with hypertension, and a few studies reported improved symptom scores for those with a respiratory condition. Studies recruiting participants requiring mental health services and those requiring specialist consultation for a dermatological condition reported no differences between groups. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The findings in our review indicate that the use of TM in the management of heart failure appears to lead to similar health outcomes as face-to-face or telephone delivery of care; there is evidence that TM can improve the control of blood glucose in those with diabetes. The cost to a health service, and acceptability by patients and healthcare professionals, is not clear due to limited data reported for these outcomes. The effectiveness of TM may depend on a number of different factors, including those related to the study population e.g. the severity of the condition and the disease trajectory of the participants, the function of the intervention e.g., if it is used for monitoring a chronic condition, or to provide access to diagnostic services, as well as the healthcare provider and healthcare system involved in delivering the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerd Flodgren
- Norwegian Institute of Public HealthThe Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health ServicesPilestredet Park 7OsloNorway0176
| | - Antoine Rachas
- European Hospital Georges Pompidou and Paris Descartes UniversityDepartment of IT and Public Health20‐40 Rue leBlancParisFrance75908
| | - Andrew J Farmer
- University of OxfordNuffield Department of Primary Care Health SciencesRadcliffe Observatory Quarter, Walton StreetOxfordUKOX2 6GG
| | - Marco Inzitari
- Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili and Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaDepartment of Healthcare/Medicinec Esteve Terrades 30BarcelonaSpain08023
| | - Sasha Shepperd
- University of OxfordNuffield Department of Population HealthRosemary Rue Building, Old Road CampusHeadingtonOxfordOxfordshireUKOX3 7LF
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Agboola S, Hale TM, Masters C, Kvedar J, Jethwani K. "Real-world" practical evaluation strategies: a review of telehealth evaluation. JMIR Res Protoc 2014; 3:e75. [PMID: 25524892 PMCID: PMC4275475 DOI: 10.2196/resprot.3459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Currently, the increasing interest in telehealth and significant technological breakthroughs of the past decade create favorable conditions for the widespread adoption of telehealth services. Therefore, expectations are high that telehealth can help alleviate prevailing challenges in health care delivery. However, in order to translate current research to policy and facilitate adoption by patients and health care providers, there is need for compelling evidence of the effectiveness of telehealth interventions. Such evidence is gathered from rigorously designed research studies, which may not always be practical in many real-world settings. Objective Our aim was to summarize current telehealth evaluation strategies and challenges and to outline practical approaches to conduct evaluation in real-world settings using one of our previously reported telehealth initiatives, the Diabetes Connect program, as a case study. Methods We reviewed commonly used current evaluation frameworks and strategies, as well as best practices based on successful evaluative efforts to date to address commonly encountered challenges in telehealth evaluation. These challenges in telehealth evaluation and commonly used frameworks are described relevant to the evaluation of Diabetes Connect, a 12-month Web-based blood glucose monitoring program. Results Designers of telehealth evaluation frameworks must give careful consideration to the elements of planning, implementation, and impact assessment of interventions. Evaluating performance at each of these phases is critical to the overall success of an intervention. Although impact assessment occurs at the end of a program, our review shows that it should begin at the point of problem definition. Critical to the success of an evaluative strategy is early planning that involves all stakeholders to identify the overall goals of the program and key measures of success at each phase of the program life cycle. This strategy should enable selection of an appropriate evaluation strategy and measures to aid in the ongoing development and implementation of telehealth and provide better evidence of program impact. Conclusions We recommend a pragmatic, multi-method, multi-phase approach to telehealth evaluation that is flexible and can be adapted to the characteristics and challenges unique to each telehealth program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Agboola
- Partners Healthcare Center for Connected Health, Boston, MA, United States.
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Panagioti M, Richardson G, Murray E, Rogers A, Kennedy A, Newman S, Small N, Bower P. Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions (RECURSIVE): a systematic review and meta-analysis. HEALTH SERVICES AND DELIVERY RESEARCH 2014. [DOI: 10.3310/hsdr02540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundA critical part of future service delivery will involve improving the degree to which people become engaged in ‘self-management’. Providing better support for self-management has the potential to make a significant contribution to NHS efficiency, as well as providing benefits in patient health and quality of care.ObjectiveTo determine which models of self-management support are associated with significant reductions in health services utilisation (including hospital use) without compromising outcomes, among patients with long-term conditions.Data sourcesCochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, EconLit (the American Economic Association’s electronic bibliography), EMBASE, Health Economics Evaluations Database, MEDLINE (the US National Library of Medicine’s database), MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) and PsycINFO (the behavioural science and mental health database), as well as the reference lists of published reviews of self-management support.MethodsWe included patients with long-term conditions in all health-care settings and self-management support interventions with varying levels of additional professional support and input from multidisciplinary teams. Main outcome measures were quantitative measures of service utilisation (including hospital use) and quality of life (QoL). We presented the results for each condition group using a permutation plot, plotting the effect of interventions on utilisation and outcomes simultaneously and placing them in quadrants of the cost-effectiveness plane depending on the pattern of outcomes. We also conducted conventional meta-analyses of outcomes.ResultsWe found 184 studies that met the inclusion criteria and provided data for analysis. The most common categories of long-term conditions included in the studies were cardiovascular (29%), respiratory (24%) and mental health (16%). Of the interventions, 5% were categorised as ‘pure self-management’ (without additional professional support), 20% as ‘supported self-management’ (< 2 hours’ support), 47% as ‘intensive self-management’ (> 2 hours’ support) and 28% as ‘case management’ (> 2 hours’ support including input from a multidisciplinary team). We analysed data across categories of long-term conditions and also analysed comparing self-management support (pure, supported, intense) with case management. Only a minority of self-management support studies reported reductions in health-care utilisation in association with decrements in health. Self-management support was associated with small but significant improvements in QoL. Evidence for significant reductions in utilisation following self-management support interventions were strongest for interventions in respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. Caution should be exercised in the interpretation of the results, as we found evidence that studies at higher risk of bias were more likely to report benefits on some outcomes. Data on hospital use outcomes were also consistent with the possibility of small-study bias.LimitationsSelf-management support is a complex area in which to undertake literature searches. Our analyses were limited by poor reporting of outcomes in the included studies, especially concerning health-care utilisation and costs.ConclusionsVery few self-management support interventions achieve reductions in utilisation while compromising patient outcomes. Evidence for significant reductions in utilisation were strongest for respiratory disorders and cardiac disorders. Research priorities relate to better reporting of the content of self-management support, exploration of the impact of multimorbidity and assessment of factors influencing the wider implementation of self-management support.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42012002694.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Panagioti
- National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth Murray
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anne Rogers
- Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Anne Kennedy
- Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Stanton Newman
- School of Health Sciences, City University London, London, UK
| | - Nicola Small
- National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Peter Bower
- National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Dierckx R, Pellicori P, Cleland JGF, Clark AL. Telemonitoring in heart failure: Big Brother watching over you. Heart Fail Rev 2014; 20:107-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s10741-014-9449-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Ota KS, Beutler DS, Sheikh H, Weiss JL, Parkinson D, Nguyen P, Gerkin RD, Loli AI. Direct Telephonic Communication in a Heart Failure Transitional Care Program: An observational study. Cardiol Res 2013; 4:145-151. [PMID: 28352437 PMCID: PMC5358199 DOI: 10.4021/cr296e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study investigated the trend of phone calls in the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center (BGSMC) Heart Failure Transitional Care Program (HFTCP). The primary goal of the HFTCP is to reduce 30-Day readmissions for heart failure patients by using a multi-pronged approach. Methods This study included 104 patients in the HFTCP discharged over a 51-week period who had around-the-clock telephone access to the Transitionalist. Cellular phone records were reviewed. This study evaluated the length and timing of calls. Results A total of 4398 telephone calls were recorded of which 39% were inbound and 61% were outbound. This averaged to 86 calls per week. During the “Weekday Daytime” period, Eighty-five percent of the totals calls were made. There were 229 calls during the “Weekday Nights” period with 1.5 inbound calls per week. The “Total Weekend” calls were 10.2% of the total calls which equated to a weekly average of 8.8. Conclusions Our experience is that direct, physician-patient telephone contact is feasible with a panel of around 100 HF patients for one provider. If the proper financial reimbursements are provided, physicians may be apt to participate in similar transitional care programs. Likewise, third party payers will benefit from the reduction in unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken S Ota
- Department of Transitional Care Medicine, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - David S Beutler
- Cardiology Fellowship Program, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Hassam Sheikh
- Department of Transitional Care Medicine, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Jessica L Weiss
- Internal Medicine Residency Program, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Dallin Parkinson
- Department of Transitional Care Medicine, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Peter Nguyen
- Department of Transitional Care Medicine, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Richard D Gerkin
- Internal Medicine Residency Program, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Akil I Loli
- Cardiology Fellowship Program, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
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16
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Kitsiou S, Paré G, Jaana M. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of home telemonitoring interventions for patients with chronic diseases: a critical assessment of their methodological quality. J Med Internet Res 2013; 15:e150. [PMID: 23880072 PMCID: PMC3785977 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of home telemonitoring interventions for patients with chronic diseases have increased over the past decade and become increasingly important to a wide range of clinicians, policy makers, and other health care stakeholders. While a few criticisms about their methodological rigor and synthesis approaches have recently appeared, no formal appraisal of their quality has been conducted yet. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this critical review was to evaluate the methodology, quality, and reporting characteristics of prior reviews that have investigated the effects of home telemonitoring interventions in the context of chronic diseases. METHODS Ovid MEDLINE, the Database of Abstract of Reviews of Effects (DARE), and Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA) of the Cochrane Library were electronically searched to find relevant systematic reviews, published between January 1966 and December 2012. Potential reviews were screened and assessed for inclusion independently by three reviewers. Data pertaining to the methods used were extracted from each included review and examined for accuracy by two reviewers. A validated quality assessment instrument, R-AMSTAR, was used as a framework to guide the assessment process. RESULTS Twenty-four reviews, nine of which were meta-analyses, were identified from more than 200 citations. The bibliographic search revealed that the number of published reviews has increased substantially over the years in this area and although most reviews focus on studying the effects of home telemonitoring on patients with congestive heart failure, researcher interest has extended to other chronic diseases as well, such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. Nevertheless, an important number of these reviews appear to lack optimal scientific rigor due to intrinsic methodological issues. Also, the overall quality of reviews does not appear to have improved over time. While several criteria were met satisfactorily by either all or nearly all reviews, such as the establishment of an a priori design with inclusion and exclusion criteria, use of electronic searches on multiple databases, and reporting of studies characteristics, there were other important areas that needed improvement. Duplicate data extraction, manual searches of highly relevant journals, inclusion of gray and non-English literature, assessment of the methodological quality of included studies and quality of evidence were key methodological procedures that were performed infrequently. Furthermore, certain methodological limitations identified in the synthesis of study results have affected the results and conclusions of some reviews. CONCLUSIONS Despite the availability of methodological guidelines that can be utilized to guide the proper conduct of systematic reviews and meta-analyses and eliminate potential risks of bias, this knowledge has not yet been fully integrated in the area of home telemonitoring. Further efforts should be made to improve the design, conduct, reporting, and publication of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyros Kitsiou
- Canada Research Chair in Information Technology in Health Care, HEC Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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