title: The value of INnovative ICT guided disease management combined with Telemonitoring in OUtpatient clinics for Chronic Heart failure patients. Design and methodology of the IN TOUCH study: a multicenter randomised trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the value of telemonitoring in heart failure patients is increasingly studied, little is known about the value of the separate components of telehealth: ICT guided disease management and telemonitoring. The aim of this study is to investigate the value of telemonitoring added to ICT guided disease management (DM) on the quality and efficiency of care in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) after a hospitalisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is divided in two arms; a control arm (DM) and an intervention arm (DM+TM) in 10 hospitals in the Netherlands. In total 220 patients will be included after worsening of CHF (DM: N = 90, DM+TM: N = 130). Total follow-up will be 9 months. Data will be collected at inclusion and then after 2 weeks, 4.5 and 9 months. The primary endpoint of this study is a composite score of: 1: death from any cause during the follow-up of the study, 2: first readmission for HF and 3: change in quality of life compared to baseline, assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart failure Questionnaire. The study has started in December 2009 and results are expected in 2012.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IN TOUCH study is the first to investigate the effect of telemonitoring on top of ICT guided DM on the quality and efficiency of care in patients with worsening HF and will use a composite score as its primary endpoint.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR1898.
authors.affiliation: Thoraxcenter, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. a.e.de.vries@thorax.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Arjen E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Martje H L
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: van der Wal
authors.forename: Tiny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaarsma
authors.forename: Rene B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Hans L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hillege
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019468:Disease Management; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009426:Netherlands; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013685:Telecommunications