The purpose of this study is to determine whether telehealth nursing consultations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are superior to hospital readmissions.
COPD is among the most common reasons for illness and fatality in adults worldwide, and it is expected that this trend will escalate radically by 2020 (1). Approximately 29% of patients admitted to Hospital with exacerbation will be readmitted within the first month (2), and after one year 46% of patients will have been readmitted on one or more occasions due to exacerbation (3). Therefore, trials have been carried out using different forms of digitally supported distance health interventions (telehealth nurse consultations) (4) of patients with COPD with a view to reducing the number of readmissions in a reliable way, measured in relation to mortality. Thus in these trials there are a certain indication that use of telehealth nurse consultations of patients with COPD is a treatment initiative that reliably can reduce the number of COPD patients readmitted with exacerbation. The number of randomized telehealth studies are however few (4;5), and there is a lack of documentation of the effect of telehealth monitoring. Therefore, a large randomized telehealth study with a clear set up was necessary. This study is a randomized multicenter trial that will take place at the acute admissions department and lung department at Odense University Hospital,Denmark We hypothesized that in a period of 26 weeks: 1. The total number of readmissions can be reduced with 14% 2. The time to the first readmission will be prolonged 3. The number of readmissions with exacerbation can be reduced after telehealth consultations as a supplement to the conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment 4. The total number of readmission days can be reduced after telehealth consultations as a supplement to the conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment 5. The total number of readmission days with exacerbation can be reduced after telehealth consultations as a supplement to the conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment 6. The mortality rate will remain unchanged after the telehealth consultations as a supplement to the conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
266
The consultations are structured as outpatient sessions immediately after discharge. The content of the education deals with the regular treatment, prevention of exacerbation and how to live with the illness. The aim of the counseling is to increase the patient's empowerment and competence to take action. The patients have the consultations for 7 days followed by a telephone call. Each session is organized and individualised according to the patient's wishes and needs for education and counselling. The equipment consists of a computer with web camera, microphone and measurement equipment. A button to contact to the nurse at the hospital, an alarm button and a volume button. The results are transferred to the hospital by a secure internet line.
Odense University Hospital
Odense, Denmark
The number of readmissions
Time frame: at 26 weeks after discharge
The mortality rate
Time frame: at 26 weeks weeks after discharge
The duration to the first readmission
Time frame: at 26 weeks after discharge
The number of hospital readmissions with exacerbation
Time frame: at 26 weeks after discharge
The number of days readmitted
Time frame: days 26 weeks after discharge
The number of days readmitted with exacerbation
Time frame: days 26 weeks after discharge
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