Impact of telemedical care and monitoring on morbidity in mild to moderate chronic heart failure.

Objective: We investigated in a pilot study whether telemedicine is beneficial in mild to moderate chronic heart failure.

Methods: A total of 128 patients with an ejection fraction < or =60% and NYHA class II or III chronic heart failure were evaluated. Thirty-two patients were enrolled prospectively in a staged telemedical service program. Ninety-six controls were matched 3:1 to each telemedicine patient.

Results: Median follow-up was 307 days (range 104-459). All-cause hospitalization duration [317 vs. 693 days/100 patient years; relative risk (RR) 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.58; p < 0.0001) and rate (38 vs. 77/100 patient years; RR 0.49; 95% CI 0.25-0.95; p = 0.034) as well as cardiac hospitalization duration (49 vs. 379 days/100 patient years; RR 0.13; 95% CI 0.08-0.23; p < 0.0001] were significantly lower, cardiac hospitalization rate (11 vs. 35/100 patient years; RR 0.31; 95% CI 0.11-1.02; p = 0.058) tended to be lower in the telemedicine compared with the control group.

Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that telemedical care and monitoring may reduce morbidity in patients with NYHA class II and III chronic heart failure.