title: A new telemonitoring system intended for chronic heart failure patients using mobile telephone technology--feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Remote monitoring is one modality of structured care in chronic heart failure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a new wireless telemonitoring system via a mobile phone network.
  
  
  METHODS
  Portable home devices for electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body weight and self-assessment measurements were connected (via Bluetooth) to a personal digital assistant (PDA) that performs automated encrypted transmission via mobile phone. Two telemedical centres were set-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  30 healthy volunteers were enrolled and followed for 26 days. A total of 4002 single measurements were taken, 133 ± 37 per person. No data was lost or incorrectly allocated. 880 of 937 (94%) of the ECG recordings had sufficient diagnostic quality for rhythm analysis and single beat measurements. 50 continuous ECG-streams (312 min) without disruption were performed. Total system availability was 96.6%, including that of the mobile phone network.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mobile phone technology is suitable for continuous and secure medical data transmission. To evaluate the clinical use in chronic heart failure patients, a large multicentre randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00543881) was started.
authors.affiliation: Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Department of Cardiology, Berlin, Germany. sebastian.winkler@charite.de
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schieber
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lücke
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wegertseder
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherf
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nettlau
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henke
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braecklein
authors.forename: Stefan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koehler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000639:trends; D002908:Chronic Disease; D034201:Computers, Handheld / Q000639:trends*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000639:trends*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000639:trends*