title: Feasibility and acceptance of a home telemanagement system in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a 6-month pilot study.
abstract: Our purpose was to assess the acceptance and feasibility of a home telemanagement system (HAT) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The HAT consists of a laptop and a scale. Subjects were required to complete weekly self-testing for 6 months. Disease activity, quality of life, and knowledge were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Attitudinal surveys were completed at 6 months. Twenty-five subjects completed the study. Ninety-one percent of patients thought that self-testing was not complicated. Eighty-six percent said that self-testing did not interfere with their usual activities. Ninety-one percent of patients would consider using a HAT in the future. Adherence with self-testing was 91%. Improvements in disease activity and quality of life, and significant improvements in knowledge, were observed after implementation of the HAT. The HAT is feasible and accepted in IBD. We predict that the HAT will positively affect adherence, monitoring, and patient education, resulting in improved disease activity and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. rcross@medicine.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Raymond K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D015142:Baltimore; D003197:Computer Literacy; D004522:Educational Status; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome