Re-admissions to hospital and patient satisfaction among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after telemedicine video consultation - a retrospective pilot study
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2014-01-30Metadata
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Original version
https://doi.org/10.1186/2049-6958-9-6Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of acute hospital admissions. The main object of our study was to evaluate the effects of telemedicine video-consultation (TVC) on the frequency of hospital re-admissions due to COPD exacerbations. Our secondary aim was to assess the impact of TVC on the length of re-admission stays within 6 and 12 months follow up after TVC. Patient satisfaction was also evaluated. Methods: The study was a retrospective observational study of COPD patients who after hospital discharge or during outpatient treatment for acute COPD exacerbations, were monitored for 2 weeks by TVC at home by a specialist nurse at the hospital during a pilot project period. Retrospectively, we compared the frequencies (chi-square test) and durations of hospital re-admissions (paired t-test) due to COPD exacerbations within 6 and 12 months follow up after TVC to comparable events 6 and 12 months prior to TVC. Results: Among 99 patients followed for 6 months after TVC, 56 were followed for totally 12 months. The number of patients re-admitted and the number of re-admissions due to COPD exacerbations were not reduced within 6 or 12 months post-TVC, as compared to 6 and 12 months pre-TVC. The mean length of re-admission stays within 12 months post-TVC was markedly reduced as compared to pre-TVC. Patients hospitalised the last 6 and 12 months pre-TVC, had significantly shorter re-admission stays, p = 0.033 and p = 0.001, respectively. Patient satisfaction was high. Conclusion: Despite the failure to demonstrate reduced frequency of re-admissions within 6 and 12 months post-TVC, the re-admission length within 12 months post-TVC was markedly reduced as compared to pre-TVC. The patient satisfaction was high. Future prospective, randomised, controlled trials must be performed before TVC can be recommended in COPD management.
Publisher
BioMed CentralJournal
Multidisciplinary Respiratory MedicineCopyright
Safaa Saleh et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Copyright 2014 Saleh et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.