Impact of telehealth on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure.

Kathryn H Dansky, Joseph Vasey, Kathryn Bowles

Journal: Clinical nursing research 2008;17(3):182-99

PMID: 18617707

Abstract

The purpose of this randomized field study was to determine the effects of telehomecare on hospitalization, emergency department (ED) use, mortality, and symptoms related to sodium and fluid intake, medication use, and physical activity. The sample consists of 284 patients with heart failure. The authors used logistic regression to study the effects of telehomecare on health services utilization and mortality and a general linear model to analyze changes in self-reported symptoms. On average, patients in the telehomecare groups had a lower probability of hospitalizations and ED visits than did patients in the control group. Differences were statistically significant at 60 days but not 120 days. Results show a greater reduction in symptoms for patients using telehomecare compared to control patients. The technology enables frequent monitoring of clinical indices and permits the home health care nurse to detect changes in cardiac status and intervene when necessary.

Address: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA.

DOI: 10.1177/1054773808320837

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MeSH Terms: Community Health Nursing, Emergency Service, Hospital, Female, Heart Failure, Home Care Services, Hospitalization, Humans, Linear Models, Logistic Models, Male, Mid-Atlantic Region, Monitoring, Ambulatory, Nursing Evaluation Research, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Program Evaluation, Prospective Studies, Severity of Illness Index, Single-Blind Method, Technology Assessment, Biomedical, Telemedicine, Videotape Recording