The Value Of A Regional Telemedicine Mode For Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the value of a regional telemedicine mode, Hospital-Community-Family-Care Management Platform in outpatient clinics for chronic heart failure (CHF), which is guided by cardiovascular specialists and composed of the patients, their family members and the community general practitioners.Methods:The study was a prospective, randomized, and observational study and comprised of 201 consecutively recruited patients with chronic heart failure referred to our hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to intensive follow-up group (IF,98 patients were followed up at 1-2 month intervals in outpatient department), regular and telemidicine follow-up group (RF+TF, 103 patients were followed up at 2-4 months intervals in outpatient department and at least lmonth interval by telemedicine follow-up). Meanwhile,101 cases of patients matching with cardiac function, age, gender and general situation of the random group were consecutively assigned to non-schedule outpatient follow-up group (NF, no stated follow-up intervals were required).N terminal b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP),6-minute walk distance, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, medication compliance, hospitalization rate, hospital stays and medicine expenses were compared among 3 groups.Results:During 12 months follow-up, significant differences were found in NT-proBNP concentrations,6-minute walk distance, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, medication compliance, hospitalization rate and hospital stays between irregular outpatient follow-up group and the other two groups. There were no significant differences in other parameters except for medical expenses between the strict outpatient follow-up group and regular outpatient and remote follow-up group.Conclusion:The regional telemedicine mode is comparable to intensive outpatient follow-up in reducing hospitalization rate, hospital stays and improving medication compliance and quality of life, but preferable in decreasing medicine expenses and increasing efficiency.