title: Telemonitoring increases patient awareness of health and prompts health-related action: initial evaluation of the TELE-ERA study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Telemonitoring is being increasingly used for chronic disease monitoring. Understanding elderly patients' feelings and perspectives toward telemonitoring is important to minimize any barriers to implementation in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Tele-Era Trial participants completed qualitative interviews assessing opinions about their telemonitoring experience. Participants also rated telemonitoring on burden, communication with clinicians, impact on medical condition knowledge, and confidence in using the monitor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On an average, participants rated telemonitoring as minimally burdensome, rated themselves confident in using the monitor, and positively rated telemonitoring for clinical communication. Qualitative analysis revealed a predominant theme that telemonitoring increases patient awareness of their health and also that telemonitoring prompts action.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly patients find home telemonitoring to be an acceptable and satisfying experience that can increase their awareness of their health and provide a sense of safety in their home. Home telemonitoring can lead to earlier evaluation of decline in health status.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. pecina.jennifer@mayo.edu
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Pecina
authors: Kristin S
authors: KS
authors: Vickers
authors: Dawn M
authors: DM
authors: Finnie
authors: Julie C
authors: JC
authors: Hathaway
authors: Gregory J
authors: GJ
authors: Hanson
authors: Paul Y
authors: PY
authors: Takahashi