Spanish Journal of Medicine (Jan 2023)
Observational study on telemonitoring of patients with heart failure
Abstract
Introduction: Patients with cardiovascular disease require continuous monitoring throughout their lives. Studies have shown that remote monitoring improves assessments of these patients, leading to more accurate prevention and lower hospitalization rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of monitoring patients with heart failure (HF) using different devices and to make a comparison with standard clinical practice, mainly based on hospital readmissions and patients’ quality of life by improving their self-care strategy. Methods: The study involved 32 patients previously discharged from hospital, divided into two groups: a study group underwent telemonitoring for 3 months using their mobile phone and various portable devices, and a control group followed standard clinical practice for the same period. The physiological variables analyzed were heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, physical activity, sleep patterns, weight, height, and fluid intake. To assess the impact of monitoring on HF patients, the number of outpatient visits, emergency room visits, and hospital readmissions were taken into account. The impact on quality of life, self-care, and patient satisfaction was also assessed by analyzing patient reported outcomes measures and patient reported experience measures. Results: The results showed that the study group had a lower readmission rate than the control group (40% vs 60%) and fewer visits to the Emergency Department (relative risk 0.667). On the other hand, it is important to note that in the control group, 60% of patients were readmitted during the follow-up period, while in the experimental group, this percentage was reduced to 40%. At the same time, the telemonitored patients have improved their self-care, have greater adherence to the taking of constants, and feel more confident and calmer. In addition, professionals have been able to take different actions proactively, due to the possibility of obtaining information in real time. Conclusions: Telemonitoring patients have achieved a better quality of life and improved health status through continuous, real-time monitoring.
Keywords
