AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Background: Compliance with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is essential in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), but adequate control is not always possible. This is clinically important because CPAP can reverse the morbidity and mortality associated with OSA. Telemedicine, with support provided via a web platform and video conferences, could represent a cost-effective alternative to standard care management.
Aim: To assess the telemedicine impact on treatment compliance, cost-effectiveness and improvement in quality of life (QoL) when compared with traditional face-to-face follow-up.
Methods: A randomised controlled trial was performed to compare a telemedicine-based CPAP follow-up strategy with standard face-to-face management. Consecutive OSA patients requiring CPAP treatment, with sufficient internet skills and who agreed to participate, were enrolled. They were followed-up at 1, 3 and 6 months and answered surveys about sleep, CPAP side effects and lifestyle. We compared CPAP compliance, cost-effectiveness and QoL between the beginning and the end of the study. A Bayesian cost-effectiveness analysis with non-informative priors was performed.
Results: We randomised 139 patients. At 6 months, we found similar levels of CPAP compliance, and improved daytime sleepiness, QoL, side effects and degree of satisfaction in both groups. Despite requiring more visits, the telemedicine group was more cost-effective: costs were lower and differences in effectiveness were not relevant.
Conclusions: A telemedicine-based strategy for the follow-up of CPAP treatment in patients with OSA was as effective as standard hospital-based care in terms of CPAP compliance and symptom improvement, with comparable side effects and satisfaction rates. The telemedicine-based strategy had lower total costs due to savings on transport and less lost productivity (indirect costs).
Trial Register Number: NCT01716676.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207032 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Visual analysis of patient safety research hotspots and trends in the context of telemedicine based on Web of Science.
Medicine (Baltimore)
November 2024
School of Nursing, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, China.
To analyze the research status, hotspots, and trends of patient safety in the context of international telemedicine, and to provide reference for future research in various countries. The literature pertaining to patient safety within the realm of telemedicine was systematically retrieved from the Web of Science core collection database, encompassing the period from January 2010 to December 2023. Visual analysis of publication quantity, primary authorship, and keyword trends was conducted using CiteSpace (6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffectiveness of Telemedicine in Managing Health-Related Issues in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review.
Cureus
October 2024
Medicine, Najran Armed Forces Hospital, Najran, SAU.
Article Synopsis
- - Telemedicine is proving to be an effective alternative to in-person appointments for pediatric care, allowing virtual consultations for various medical conditions.
- - A systematic review evaluated 11 relevant studies, showing that many telemedicine strategies, like videoconferencing and smartphone therapies, resulted in positive patient outcomes comparable to traditional methods.
- - Key findings included improvements in medication adherence, appointment completion, life satisfaction, and symptom management, highlighting the need for further research to strengthen the evidence for telemedicine's efficacy.
Assessing health outcomes: a systematic review of electronic patient-reported outcomes in oncology.
Eur J Hosp Pharm
May 2024
Pharmacy Department, Onkologikoa, San Sebastian, País Vasco, Spain.
Purpose: This study investigates the clinical impact of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) monitoring apps/web interfaces, aimed at symptom-management, in cancer patients undergoing outpatient systemic antineoplastic treatment. Additionally, it explores the advantages offered by these applications, including their functionalities and healthcare team-initiated follow-up programmes.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using a predefined search strategy in MEDLINE.
Transition from an in-person to a telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening program.
Arq Bras Oftalmol
April 2024
Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Purpose: Timely screening and treatment are essential for preventing diabetic retinopathy blindness. Improving screening workflows can reduce waiting times for specialist evaluation and thus enhance patient outcomes. This study assessed different screening approaches in a Brazilian public healthcare setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBarriers to Hepatitis C Treatment and Interest in Telemedicine-Based Care Among Clients of a Syringe Access Program.
Open Forum Infect Dis
March 2024
Public Health Institute at Denver Health, Division of HIV/STI/Viral Hepatitis, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Background: Sharing equipment for injection drug use is the most common mode of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in the United States, yet people who inject drugs (PWID) historically have low rates of HCV treatment. New strategies are needed to expand access to HCV treatment among PWID. Co-locating HCV treatment at syringe access programs (SAPs) reduces barriers to treatment, and telemedicine-based treatment programs could expand access further.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!