Original Title: Telemonitorización en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca o enfermedad obstructiva crónica. Revisión sistemática de la literatura

Authors' objectives: To assess the clinical benefit, the effect on the use of health services and on the patient's health outcomes of home telemonitoring for the follow-up of patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to usual care (or non-care).

Authors' results and conclusions: Effects of telemonitoring and structured telephone support on patients with heart failure: • Telemonitoring at home shows a significant reduction in the mortality rate in patients with HF compared to usual treatment. • Structured telephone support shows a positive trend in the reduction of the mortality rate in patients with HF compared to usual treatment, although this difference is not statistically significant. • Both telemonitoring and structured telephone support reduce the number of hospitalizations for any cause compared to the usual treatment in patients with HF. • Both telemonitoring and structured telephone support have a positive effect on quality of life compared to usual treatment in patients with HF. • Both telemonitoring and structured telephone support seem to have benefits in terms of adherence to treatment, compared to usual treatment in patients with HF. • The available evidence does not show that these techniques decrease the days of hospital stay, visits to the emergency services, visits to primary or specialized care consultations, or visits by home health personnel in patients with HF. Effects of telemonitoring and structured telephone support on COPD patients: Some studies indicate that telemonitoring at home has a higher mortality rate in patients with COPD than usual treatment, although the data is not conclusive. • Both telemonitoring and structured telephone support reduce the number of hospitalizations for any cause compared to the usual treatment in patients with COPD. • There is little evidence on the reduction in emergency room visits in the telemonitoring group compared to the usual treatment in patients with COPD, although the data points in that direction. • Structured telephone support shows a reduction in the number of emergency room visits compared to the usual treatment in patients with COPD. • There is insufficient evidence to show an effect of telemonitoring or structured telephone support on the number of hospitalizations, on the days of hospital stay, on visits to the emergency department, on visits to primary or specialized care or on the quality of life of COPD patients.

Authors' methods: Systematic review of the scientific literature published in English and Spanish from 1999 to 2010.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2012

URL for published report: https://www.euskadi.eus/contenidos/informacion/2012_osteba_publicacion/es_def/adjuntos/eku_12_01_telem_infor.pdf

English language abstract: There is no English language summary available

Publication Type: Rapid Review

Country: Spain

Organisation Name: Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: C/ Donostia – San Sebastián, 1 (Edificio Lakua II, 4ª planta) 01010 Vitoria - Gasteiz

Contact Name: Lorea Galnares-Cordero

Contact Email: lgalnares@bioef.eus

Copyright: <p>Osteba (Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment) Health Department of the Basque Government</p>