title: Results of a telehealth-enabled chronic care management service to support people with long-term conditions at home.
abstract: Both congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more common among Māori than non-Māori people, and the cultural acceptability of home-based remote monitoring technology has not been tested. We conducted a 12-month pilot trial of home telemonitoring. Patients were randomly assigned to the control and intervention groups. Patients in the control group showed no clear differences in quality of life at the end of the trial. The telehealth group showed a consistent trend towards improved quality of life on several instruments, including the SF-36, the St George Respiratory Questionnaire and the K10 questionnaire; the improvement in the latter was significant. Hospitalizations were reduced in both the control (-19%) and telehealth group (-25%). Patient interviews indicated that the technology was acceptable to most patients and their families, including the Māori. The results from the pilot trial suggest that wider implementation with a cost benefit evaluation could be worthwhile.
authors.affiliation: Healthcare of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand. anton.venter@healthcarenz.co.nz
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venter
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hefford
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ehrenberg
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D009520:New Zealand; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration