title: TELEMOLD project: oximetry and exercise telemonitoring to improve long-term oxygen therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Standard assessment of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) prescription involves hospital-based clinical tests. However, there is some evidence suggesting that oxygen demand during daily activities may not be correctly estimated by such tests, when compared with continuous ambulatory oximetry. The authors describe the results of a study aiming to evaluate the clinical relevance of a home telemonitoring system in LTOT optimization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five chronic respiratory failure patients were monitored in real time with an oximeter sensor and an accelerometer. Signals were sent via Bluetooth(®) (Bluetooth SIG, Kirkland, WA) to a mobile phone and then via 3G or general packet radio service to a server. Continuous and secure access to data was established through an Internet site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each patient was monitored an average of 7.6 ± 4.5 days (total, 83 ± 67 h). Valid records were on average 65 ± 24%. Records of rest, activity, and sleep time per patient were, on average, 28 ± 21%, 7 ± 6%, and 59 ± 25%, respectively. Significant desaturation during rest, activity, and sleep was found in 2, 26, and 9 patients, respectively. Patients' ratings of the user-friendliness of the equipments, assessed by questionnaire, were fairly good (76% reported it as easy/very easy).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that a telemonitoring system combining oximetry and physical activity evaluation might contribute to a more adequate oxygen prescription, mainly during daily activities.
authors.affiliation: 1 Service of Pneumology, EPE North Lisbon Hospital Center , Pulido Valente Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal .
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamith
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matias
authors.forename: Rui César
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: das Neves
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bárbara
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013686:Telemetry / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: accelerometry; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; physical activity; rehabilitation; respiratory failure; telemedicine