Chronic heart failure home-based management with a telecardiology system: a comparison between patients followed by general practitioners and by a cardiology department.
A group of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) were followed by general practitioners (GPs) with a telecardiology system, and a second group of patients were followed by a home-based telemonitoring (HBT) protocol with medical and nursing supervision. The 212 GP patients were older than the 226 HBT patients, mostly women, with CHF secondary to chronic hypertension, less self-sufficient and with a non-optimized therapy. The mean number of telephone calls was 2.6 per patient in the GP group and 16.6 per patient in the HBT group (P<0.001). These preliminary data suggest the applicability and the efficacy of both management models for CHF patients.
Scalvini
Simonetta
S
Cardiology Division, S Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Gussago (Brescia), Rome, Italy. sscalvini@fsm.it
Zanelli
Emanuela
E
Paletta
Laura
L
Benigno
Massimo
M
Domeneghini
Diego
D
De Giuli
Federica
F
Giordano
Amerigo
A
Glisenti
Fulvio
F
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D013689:Telephone