Daily usage and efficiency of remote home monitoring in hypertensive patients over a one-year period

Relationship Between Adherence to Remote Monitoring and Patient Characteristics: Observational Study in Women With Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension

Background

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality in mothers, fetuses, and newborns. New technologies, such as remote monitoring (RM), were introduced in 2015 into the care of patients at risk of PIH in Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (Genk, Belgium) to improve both maternal and neonatal outcomes. In developing new strategies for obstetric care in pregnant women, including RM, it is important to understand the psychosocial characteristics associated with adherence to RM to optimize care.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the role of patients’ psychosocial characteristics (severity of depression or anxiety, cognitive factors, attachment styles, and personality traits) in their adherence to RM.

Methods

Questionnaires were sent by email to 108 mothers the day after they entered an RM program for pregnant women at risk of PIH. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess anxiety and the severity of depression, respectively; an adaptation of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale was used to assess cognitive factors; and attachment and personality were measured with the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Scale (ECR-R), the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, respectively.

Results

The moderate adherence group showed significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression, negative cognitions, and insecure attachment styles, especially compared with the over adherence group. The low adherence group scored significantly higher than the other groups on other-oriented perfectionism. There were no significant differences between the good and over adherence groups. Single linear regression showed that the answers on the PHQ-9 and ECR-R questionnaires were significantly related to the adherence rate.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the relationships between adherence to RM and patient characteristics in women at risk of PIH. Alertness toward the group of women who show less than optimal adherence is essential. These findings call for further research on the management of PIH and the importance of individual tailoring of RM in this patient group.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03509272; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03509272

Patient Adherence to Scheduled Vital Sign Measurements During Home Telemonitoring: Analysis of the Intervention Arm in a Before and After Trial

BACKGROUND

In a home telemonitoring trial, patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements is an important aspect that has not been thoroughly studied and for which data in the literature are limited. Levels of adherence have been reported as varying from approximately 40% to 90%, and in most cases, the adherence rate usually dropped off steadily over time. This drop is more evident in the first few weeks or months after the start. Higher adherence rates have been reported for simple types of monitoring and for shorter periods of intervention. If patients do not follow the intended procedure, poorer results than expected may be achieved. Hence, analyzing factors that can influence patient adherence is of great importance.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the research was to present findings on patient adherence with scheduled vital signs measurements in the recently completed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) national trial of home telemonitoring of patients (mean age 70.5 years, SD 9.3 years) with chronic conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, hypertensive diseases, congestive heart failure, diabetes, or asthma) carried out at 5 locations along the east coast of Australia. We investigated the ability of chronically ill patients to carry out a daily schedule of vital signs measurements as part of a chronic disease management care plan over periods exceeding 6 months (302 days, SD 135 days) and explored different levels of adherence for different measurements as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models.

METHODS

In this study, 113 patients forming the test arm of a Before and After Control Intervention (BACI) home telemonitoring trial were analyzed. Patients were required to monitor on a daily basis a range of vital signs determined by their chronic condition and comorbidities. Vital signs included noninvasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, spirometry, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood glucose level, body temperature, and body weight. Adherence was calculated as the number of days during which at least 1 measurement was taken over all days where measurements were scheduled. Different levels of adherence for different measurements, as a function of age, gender, and supervisory models, were analyzed using linear regression and analysis of covariance for a period of 1 year after the intervention.

RESULTS

Patients were monitored on average for 302 (SD 135) days, although some continued beyond 12 months. The overall adherence rate for all measurements was 64.1% (range 59.4% to 68.8%). The adherence rates of patients monitored in hospital settings relative to those monitored in community settings were significantly higher for spirometry (69.3%, range 60.4% to 78.2%, versus 41.0%, range 33.1% to 49.0%, P<.001), body weight (64.5%, range 55.7% to 73.2%, versus 40.5%, range 32.3% to 48.7%, P<.001), and body temperature (66.8%, range 59.7% to 73.9%, versus 55.2%, range 48.4% to 61.9%, P=.03). Adherence with blood glucose measurements (58.1%, range 46.7% to 69.5%, versus 50.2%, range 42.8% to 57.6%, P=.24) was not significantly different overall. Adherence rates for blood pressure (68.5%, range 62.7% to 74.2%, versus 59.7%, range 52.1% to 67.3%, P=.04), ECG (65.6%, range 59.7% to 71.5%, versus 56.5%, range 48.7% to 64.4%, P=.047), and pulse oximetry (67.0%, range 61.4% to 72.7%, versus 56.4%, range 48.6% to 64.1%, P=.02) were significantly higher in males relative to female subjects. No statistical differences were observed between rates of adherence for the younger patient group (70 years and younger) and older patient group (older than 70 years).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with chronic conditions enrolled in the home telemonitoring trial were able to record their vital signs at home at least once every 2 days over prolonged periods of time. Male patients maintained a higher adherence than female patients over time, and patients supervised by hospital-based care coordinators reported higher levels of adherence with their measurement schedule relative to patients supervised in community settings. This was most noticeable for spirometry.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000635763; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=364030&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xPOU3DpR).

Patient Compliance in Home-Based Self-Care Telehealth Projects

This paper presents the findings of a literature review on patient compliance in home-based self-care telehealth monitoring situations, intended to establish a knowledge base for this aspect which is often neglected alongside more conventional clinical, economic and service evaluations. A systematic search strategy led to 72 peer-reviewed published scientific papers being selected as most relevant to the topic, 58 of which appeared in the last 10 years. Patient conditions in which most evidence for compliance was found were blood pressure, heart failure and stroke, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory diseases. In general, good compliance at the start of a study was found to drop off over time, most rapidly in the period immediately after the start. Success factors identified in the study included the extent of patient health education, telehealth system implementation style, user training and competence in system usage, active human support from the healthcare provider and maintaining strong participant motivation.

A 3-Month Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of a Patient-Centered, Computer-Based Self-Monitoring System for the Care of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of a patient-centered, tablet computer-based self-monitoring system for chronic disease care. A 3-month randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted to compare the use of a computer-based self-monitoring system in disease self-care (intervention group; n = 33) with a conventional self-monitoring method (control group; n = 30) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension. The system was equipped with a 2-in-1 blood glucose and blood pressure monitor, a reminder feature, and video-based educational materials for the care of the two chronic diseases. The control patients were given only the 2-in-1 monitor for self-monitoring. The outcomes reported here included the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, fasting blood glucose level, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, chronic disease knowledge, and frequency of self-monitoring. The data were collected at baseline and at 1-, 2-, and 3-month follow-up visits. The patients in the intervention group had a significant decrease in mean systolic blood pressure from baseline to 1 month (p < 0.001) and from baseline to 3 months (p = 0.043) compared with the control group. Significant improvements in the mean diastolic blood pressure were seen in the intervention group compared with the control group after 1 month (p < 0.001) and after 2 months (p = 0.028), but the change was not significant after 3 months. No significant differences were observed between the groups in the fasting blood glucose level, the HbA1c level, or chronic disease knowledge. The frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose level and blood pressure was similar in both groups. The performances of the tablet computer-assisted and conventional disease self-monitoring appear to be useful to support/maintain blood pressure and diabetes control. The beneficial effects of the use of electronic self-care resources and support provided via mobile technologies require further confirmation in longer-term, larger trials.

What influences patients' acceptance of a blood pressure telemonitoring service in primary care? A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Telemonitoring of home blood pressure (BP) is found to have a positive effect on BP control. Delivering a BP telemonitoring service in primary care offers primary care physicians an innovative approach toward management of their patients with hypertension. However, little is known about patients' acceptance of such service in routine clinical care.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore patients' acceptance of a BP telemonitoring service delivered in primary care based on the technology acceptance model (TAM).

METHODS

A qualitative study design was used. Primary care patients with uncontrolled office BP who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled into a BP telemonitoring service offered between the period August 2012 and September 2012. This service was delivered at an urban primary care clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty patients used the BP telemonitoring service. Of these, 17 patients consented to share their views and experiences through five in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions. An interview guide was developed based on the TAM. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used for analysis.

RESULTS

Patients found the BP telemonitoring service easy to use but struggled with the perceived usefulness of doing so. They expressed confusion in making sense of the monitored home BP readings. They often thought about the implications of these readings to their hypertension management and overall health. Patients wanted more feedback from their doctors and suggested improvement to the BP telemonitoring functionalities to improve interactions. Patients cited being involved in research as the main reason for their intention to use the service. They felt that patients with limited experience with the internet and information technology, who worked out of town, or who had an outdoor hobby would not be able to benefit from such a service.

CONCLUSION

Patients found BP telemonitoring service in primary care easy to use but needed help to interpret the meanings of monitored BP readings. Implementations of BP telemonitoring service must tackle these issues to maximize the patients' acceptance of a BP telemonitoring service.

Home blood pressure monitoring in hypertensive stroke patients: a prospective cohort study following a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

We found little data on long-term home blood pressure monitoring in stroke patients.

OBJECTIVES

After completing a 12-month trial of home monitoring in hypertensive stroke patients, we investigated the following: 1. The proportion of 118 control patients offered a monitor at the end of the trial without nurse support who used it at least monthly after 6 months. 2. The proportion of 119 intervention patients continuing to use their monitor monthly after 18 months. 3. Possible predictors of monitoring weekly in the first month after receiving a monitor: age, gender, ethnicity, cognition, anxiety, disability, ability to monitor blood pressure unaided and smoking.

METHODS

Participants (mean age 71, 34% with disability and 21% from ethnic minorities) were surveyed 1 and/or 6 months after the trial ended by postal and/or telephone questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of 237 potential participants, 53 (22%) declined, 16 (6%) were lost and 9 (4%) died during follow-up. Overall, reported monthly use of the monitor without nurse support was 47% [54/114, 95% confidence interval (CI) 38.2-56.5] at 6 months and 50% (57/114, 95% CI 40.8-59.2) at 18 months. Participants who monitored weekly after 1 month were more likely than the remainder to have no disability [Rankin score ≤ 1; relative risk (RR) 1.2; 95% CI 1.0-1.5] and low anxiety levels (FEAR score = 0; RR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.0).

CONCLUSION

Around half of hypertensive stroke patients offered a blood pressure monitor but no support continued to use it after 6 and 18 months. Monitoring in the first month was common in those who were not anxious or disabled.

Does home telemonitoring after pulmonary rehabilitation reduce healthcare use in optimized COPD? A pilot randomized trial

AIM

To see if home telemonitors reduce healthcare use in those with optimized chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

We randomized 40 stable patients with moderate to severe COPD, who had completed at least 12 sessions of outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), to receive standard care (Controls) for 52 weeks or standard care plus Docobo HealthHUB monitors at home for 26 weeks followed by 26 weeks standard care (Tm Group). During the monitoring period, the Tm Group completed symptoms and physical observations twice daily which were stored and then uploaded at 2 am through a freephone landline. Nurses could access the data through a secure web site and received alerting e-mails if certain combinations of data occurred.

RESULTS

There were fewer primary care contacts for chest problems (p < 0.03) in the Tm group, but no differences between the groups in emergency room visits, hospital admissions, days in hospital or contacts to the specialist COPD community nurse team, during the monitoring period. After the monitors were removed, there were no differences between the groups for any of the health care contacts (p > 0.20 throughout).

CONCLUSION

In stable, optimized COPD patients who have already completed PR, telemonitoring in addition to best care, reduces primary care chest contacts but not hospital or specialist team utilization.

Clinical effects of home telemonitoring in the context of diabetes, asthma, heart failure and hypertension: a systematic review

Background

Home telemonitoring figures among the various solutions that could help attenuate some of the problems associated with aging populations, rates of chronic illness, and shortages of health professionals.

Objective

The primary aim of this study was to further our understanding of the clinical effects associated with home telemonitoring programs in the context of chronic diseases.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review which covered studies published between January 1966 and December 2008. MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, and the INAHTA (International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment) database were consulted. Our inclusion criteria consisted of: (1) English language publications in peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings and (2) studies involving patients with diabetes, asthma, heart failure, or hypertension, and presenting results on the clinical effects of home telemonitoring.

Results

In all, 62 empirical studies were analyzed. The results from studies involving patients with diabetes indicated a trend toward patients with home telemonitoring achieving better glycemic control. In most trials in which patients with asthma were enrolled, results showed significant improvements in patients’ peak expiratory flows, significant reductions in the symptoms associated with this illness, and improvements in perceived quality of life. Virtually all studies involving patients with hypertension demonstrated the ability of home telemonitoring to reduce systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure. Lastly, due to the equivocal nature of current findings of home telemonitoring involving patients with heart failure, larger trials are still needed to confirm the clinical effects of this technology for these patients.

Conclusions

Although home telemonitoring appears to be a promising approach to patient management, designers of future studies should consider ways to make this technology more effective as well as controlling possible mediating variables.

Home telemonitoring and quality of life in stable, optimised chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

We conducted a six-month randomised controlled trial of home telemonitoring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 40 stable patients with moderate to severe COPD who had completed pulmonary rehabilitation took part. They were randomised to receive standard care (controls) or standard care plus home telemonitoring (intervention). During the monitoring period, patients in the telemonitoring group recorded their symptoms and physical observations twice daily. The data were transmitted automatically at night via the home telephone line. Nurses could access the data through a website and receive alerting email messages if certain conditions were detected. The patients completed the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression and the EuroQoL EQ-5D quality of life scores before and after pulmonary rehabilitation, and then periodically during the trial. There were significant and clinically important improvements in the scores immediately following pulmonary rehabilitation, but thereafter there were no differences in quality of life scores between the groups at any time, or consistently within either group over time. The study showed that telemonitoring was safe but, despite being well used, it was not associated with changes in quality of life in patients who had stable COPD.

Nine human factors contributing to the user acceptance of telemedicine applications: a cognitive-emotional approach

Much attention is paid to the technical aspects of telemedicine in the development of new applications, but the enthusiasm about what is technically possible very often leads to the user acceptance of such products being neglected. The number of successful and sustainable telemedicine applications would be much higher if developers concentrated more on matters related to the cognitive-emotional situation of the users involved in telemedicine. The users include the care and cure providers, as well as the care and cure receivers. Based on an informal literature search and discussions with telemedicine implementation staff, nine factors have been identified which are essential for the user acceptance of telemedicine applications. All of them are connected more to the cognitive-emotional than to the cognitive-rational side of information processing. This suggests that in the future the cognitive-emotional side will need more attention. This in turn implies that the nine points mentioned above have to find their way into requirements engineering, development processes and product life cycles.

Impact of patient-general practitioner short-messages-based interaction on the control of hypertension in a follow-up service for low-to-medium risk hypertensive patients: a randomized controlled trial

The evaluation in real-life settings of services for the follow-up and control of hypertensive patients is a complex intervention, which still needs analysis of the roles, tasks, and resources involved in the basic items: patient, healthcare professional, and the interaction between the two. To evaluate the impact of patient-general practitioner (GP) short-messages-based interaction, isolated from other items, on the degree of hypertension control in the follow-up of medium-to-low-risk patients in primary care, a randomized controlled trial has been performed: 38 GPs enrolled 285 hypertensive patients who recorded the results of self-blood-pressure (BP) monitoring, heart rate, and body weight, and completed an optional questionnaire in an identical manner over a six-month period. The telemedicine group (TmG) sent the data to a telemedicine-based system that enabled patient-GP interaction; the control group (CG) recorded the data on paper and could only deliver it to their GP personally in the routine visits. In the TmG, the results were better, but not significantly so, for: 1) degree of hypertension control, in terms of the percentage of uncontrolled hypertensives at the final visit (TmG versus CG: 31.7% versus 35.6%; p = 0.47); 2) reduction in hypertension during follow-up, comparing measurements (performed by a professional) at the initial and final visits of systolic BP (15.5 versus 11.9; p = 0.13) and diastolic BP (9.6 versus 4.4; p = 0.40); and 3) adherence to the protocol within compliance levels of interest in a real-life follow-up service: >>50% (84.8% versus 73.3%) and >>25% (92.4.8% versus 75.4%) ( p = 0.053). Other factors such as average values of self-measured systolic BP, diastolic BP and heart rate, acceptability of the protocol, and median number of consultations and hospital admissions were similar in both groups. Outcomes show that, taken alone, the patient-GP short-messages-based interaction has very little impact on the degree of hypertension control in patients with this profile. In complex interventions, to discriminate the impact of each of its components in isolation will enable us to design an efficient follow-up service, little demanding in terms of healthcare professional dedication, and optimized in other basic aspects.

Call to action on use and reimbursement for home blood pressure monitoring: a joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension, and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) overcomes many of the limitations of traditional office blood pressure (BP) measurement and is both cheaper and easier to perform than ambulatory BP monitoring. Monitors that use the oscillometric method are currently available that are accurate, reliable, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. An increasing number of patients are using them regularly to check their BP at home, but although this has been endorsed by national and international guidelines, detailed recommendations for their use have been lacking. There is a rapidly growing literature showing that measurements taken by patients at home are often lower than readings taken in the office and closer to the average BP recorded by 24-hour ambulatory monitors, which is the BP that best predicts cardiovascular risk. Because of the larger numbers of readings that can be taken by HBPM than in the office and the elimination of the white-coat effect (the increase of BP during an office visit), home readings are more reproducible than office readings and show better correlations with measures of target organ damage. In addition, prospective studies that have used multiple home readings to express the true BP have found that home BP predicts risk better than office BP (Class IIa; Level of Evidence A). This call-to-action article makes the following recommendations: (1) It is recommended that HBPM should become a routine component of BP measurement in the majority of patients with known or suspected hypertension; (2) Patients should be advised to purchase oscillometric monitors that measure BP on the upper arm with an appropriate cuff size and that have been shown to be accurate according to standard international protocols. They should be shown how to use them by their healthcare providers; (3) Two to 3 readings should be taken while the subject is resting in the seated position, both in the morning and at night, over a period of 1 week. A total of >/=12 readings are recommended for making clinical decisions; (4) HBPM is indicated in patients with newly diagnosed or suspected hypertension, in whom it may distinguish between white-coat and sustained hypertension. If the results are equivocal, ambulatory BP monitoring may help to establish the diagnosis; (5) In patients with prehypertension, HBPM may be useful for detecting masked hypertension; (6) HBPM is recommended for evaluating the response to any type of antihypertensive treatment and may improve adherence; (7) The target HBPM goal for treatment is <135/85 mm Hg or <130/80 mm Hg in high-risk patients; (8) HBPM is useful in the elderly, in whom both BP variability and the white-coat effect are increased; (9) HBPM is of value in patients with diabetes, in whom tight BP control is of paramount importance; (10) Other populations in whom HBPM may be beneficial include pregnant women, children, and patients with kidney disease; and (11) HBPM has the potential to improve the quality of care while reducing costs and should be reimbursed.

Call to action on use and reimbursement for home blood pressure monitoring: a joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society Of Hypertension, and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) overcomes many of the limitations of traditional office blood pressure (BP) measurement and is both cheaper and easier to perform than ambulatory BP monitoring. Monitors that use the oscillometric method are currently available that are accurate, reliable, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. An increasing number of patients are using them regularly to check their BP at home, but although this has been endorsed by national and international guidelines, detailed recommendations for their use have been lacking. There is a rapidly growing literature showing that measurements taken by patients at home are often lower than readings taken in the office and closer to the average BP recorded by 24-hour ambulatory monitors, which is the BP that best predicts cardiovascular risk. Because of the larger numbers of readings that can be taken by HBPM than in the office and the elimination of the white-coat effect (the increase of BP during an office visit), home readings are more reproducible than office readings and show better correlations with measures of target organ damage. In addition, prospective studies that have used multiple home readings to express the true BP have found that home BP predicts risk better than office BP (Class IIa; Level of Evidence A). This call-to-action article makes the following recommendations: (1) It is recommended that HBPM should become a routine component of BP measurement in the majority of patients with known or suspected hypertension; (2) Patients should be advised to purchase oscillometric monitors that measure BP on the upper arm with an appropriate cuff size and that have been shown to be accurate according to standard international protocols. They should be shown how to use them by their healthcare providers; (3) Two to 3 readings should be taken while the subject is resting in the seated position, both in the morning and at night, over a period of 1 week. A total of >or=12 readings are recommended for making clinical decisions; (4) HBPM is indicated in patients with newly diagnosed or suspected hypertension, in whom it may distinguish between white-coat and sustained hypertension. If the results are equivocal, ambulatory BP monitoring may help to establish the diagnosis; (5) In patients with prehypertension, HBPM may be useful for detecting masked hypertension; (6) HBPM is recommended for evaluating the response to any type of antihypertensive treatment and may improve adherence; (7) The target HBPM goal for treatment is <135/85 mm Hg or <130/80 mm Hg in high-risk patients; (8) HBPM is useful in the elderly, in whom both BP variability and the white-coat effect are increased; (9) HBPM is of value in patients with diabetes, in whom tight BP control is of paramount importance; (10) Other populations in whom HBPM may be beneficial include pregnant women, children, and patients with kidney disease; and (11) HBPM has the potential to improve the quality of care while reducing costs and should be reimbursed.

Systematic review of home telemonitoring for chronic diseases: the evidence base

OBJECTIVE

Home telemonitoring represents a patient management approach combining various information technologies for monitoring patients at distance. This study presents a systematic review of the nature and magnitude of outcomes associated with telemonitoring of four types of chronic illnesses: pulmonary conditions, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Medline and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant articles published between 1990 and 2006. A total of 65 empirical studies were obtained (18 pulmonary conditions, 17 diabetes, 16 cardiac diseases, 14 hypertension) mostly conducted in the United States and Europe.

RESULTS

The magnitude and significance of the telemonitoring effects on patients' conditions (e.g., early detection of symptoms, decrease in blood pressure, adequate medication, reduced mortality) still remain inconclusive for all four chronic illnesses. However, the results of this study suggest that regardless of their nationality, socioeconomic status, or age, patients comply with telemonitoring programs and the use of technologies. Importantly, the telemonitoring effects on clinical effectiveness outcomes (e.g., decrease in the emergency visits, hospital admissions, average hospital length of stay) are more consistent in pulmonary and cardiac studies than diabetes and hypertension. Lastly, economic viability of telemonitoring was observed in very few studies and, in most cases, no in-depth cost-minimization analyses were performed.

CONCLUSION

Home telemonitoring of chronic diseases seems to be a promising patient management approach that produces accurate and reliable data, empowers patients, influences their attitudes and behaviors, and potentially improves their medical conditions. Future studies need to build evidence related to its clinical effects, cost effectiveness, impacts on services utilization, and acceptance by health care providers.

Telehealth as a Tool for Enhancing Care for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Telehealth refers to the use of telecommunication technology to remove time and distance barriers in the delivery of healthcare services. Telehealth can help nurses provide education and counseling, social support, disease monitoring, and disease management reminders to cardiovascular patients in their homes. As a result, patients gain more flexibility in scheduling healthcare visits, have easier and more convenient access to healthcare, may have fewer time-demanding clinic visits, receive care in a location that does not require the burden of transportation, and in an environment that is less threatening than a clinic or emergency department. Cardiovascular healthcare may be enhanced through diverse telehealth applications, including sensor technology and wearable monitoring systems, Internet-based peripheral monitoring devices, videophones, interactive voice response systems, and nanotechnology. Although telehealth enhances care, legal, human, and environmental factors need to be considered before implementing a telehealth program. Additionally, more evidence that is obtained through large multicenter controlled trials about the potential benefits and cost effectiveness of telecardiovascular health is needed.