Digital pen-based telemonitoring of elderly heart failure patients.
Considering that a majority of elderlies are non-users of computers and Internet we developed a telemonitoring system for elderly heart failure (HF) home care patients based on digital pen technology - a technology never used before by this patient group. We implemented the system in clinical use in a 13 months long study. Fourteen patients (mean/median age 84 years) with severe HF participated. They accepted the technology and performed daily reports of their health state using the digital pen and a Health Diary form. Via the system the clinicians detected all HF-related deteriorations at an early stage and thereby prevented hospital re-admissions for all patients during the study, implying improved symptom control and large cost savings.
Department of Biomedical Engineering/Medical informatics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Leili
L
Lind
Daniel
D
Karlsson
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D063731:Mobile Applications; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface