title: Acceptability of the consumer-centric u-health services for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We developed and implemented a system for u-health (ubiquitous healthcare) services for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and studied the level of acceptability by the patients in the context of home visits and telephone education.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine its effectiveness, the u-health service system was used for 2 years with 144 COPD patients in a clinical environment. Patients were provided with the u-healthcare service.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with COPD were highly satisfied with the u-healthcare service, which incorporated telemonitoring, teleconsultation, and tele-education along with home visits. The average acceptable fees (in USD) of the service system are as follows: u-health device, $421.28; home visit, $21.53/visit; tele-education, $0.53/min or $26.57/month; and total service fee, $44.26/month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COPD patients accepted u-health services with a high satisfaction rate, promising a new paradigm of consumer-centric healthcare services.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. kim0424@snu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jeongeun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sukwha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Heechan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyungwhan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Choon-taek
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sukchul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hyoun-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Yoonju
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Kyungsoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*