Telemonitoring systems, by which the symptoms of heart failure can be remotely assessed, now provide a strategy for the improved personalised care of patients, according to Professor John Cleland from the University of Hull, UK.1 He told Heart Failure Congress 2009 that the management of heart failure is complex but most effective when tailored to the individual patients' needs and condition.2 "Unfortunately," he added, "the resources required to offer this tailored treatment outside a hospital setting are generally not available. Current services provide, at best, only a crude attempt to deliver long-term, personalised healthcare, but telemonitoring provides a strategy which could radically change this situation."
Professor Cleland explained that the first generation of home monitoring devices for heart failure were relatively simple. They were designed to measure symptoms, weight, heart rate and rhythm, and blood pressure. But, he said, "from the patient's perspective, they were relatively unrewarding since the systems provide little in the way of advice or feedback. Nonetheless, a series of randomised controlled trials have shown a reduction in mortality and in days spent in hospital, although not in the rate of hospitalisation."
Ongoing trials of second generation equipment, he continued, reflect the same measure of symptom assessment but a more interactive experience for the patient. "These newer systems," he explained, "provide education, feedback to patients on their results, treatment and appointment reminders and a limited amount of advice on adjusting therapy. They are likely to deliver even greater health gains than first generation systems."
And now, further generations of telemonitoring systems are being developed, including:
However, Professor Cleland added that such a rapid technical evolution has run far ahead of any service evolution, and warned that conventional clinical trials are likely to underestimate the benefits of these new telehealth systems once integrated into an efficient service. Future clinical trials, he said, should ensure service integration and define the "control" intervention: "If service integration is poor or insufficient resources are invested in the control group, then even an effective technology will fail."
A meta-analysis of 14 randomised controlled trials (4264 patients) of remote monitoring found that programmes for chronic heart failure which included some form of remote monitoring had a positive effect on clinical outcomes in community-dwelling patients with chronic heart failure.3
NOTES :
1. Cleland JGF. Assessment of symptoms in clinics and trials. 31 May, 16.00-17.30.
2. Heart Failure Congress 2009 is organised by the European Society of Cardiology and Heart Failure Association of the ESC, and takes place from 30 May to 2 June at the Palais Acropolis, Nice, France.
3. Clark RA, Inglis SC, McAlister FA, Cleland JG, Stewart S. Telemonitoring or structured telephone support programmes for patients with chronic heart failure: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2007; 334: 942.
* Information on the scientific programme for Heart Failure Congress 2009 is available at http://spo.escardio.org/Welcome.aspx?eevtid=31
* Background information on heart failure is available at http://www.heartfailurematters.org .
* More information on Heart Failure Congress 2009 and on the press releases is available from the ESC press office at press@escardio.org OR on site at +33 (0)6 22 41 84 92.