This study will randomize participants with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure and at least one risk factor for hospitalization to either a tablet computer and web based disease management program or a telephone based disease management program. Both interventions are home based with heart failure education and symptom monitoring provided by nurse managers. The nurse managers are in close communication with both the participants and the participants' physicians . The components of the disease management program have been developed at Tufts Medical Center and the New England Quality Care Alliance with studies showing improved clinical outcomes, including reduced hospitalizations. The goal of this study is to transition this successful home monitoring and disease management program to a tablet computer and web-based implementation to both improve clinical outcomes (reducing hospitalizations and improving self-perceived health status) and improve provider-patient satisfaction. We hypothesize that the tablet computer based disease management will decrease heart failure hospitalizations.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
212
Tablet computers loaded with a web-based disease management program will be given to patients for the duration of the study.
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
MetroWest Medical Center
Framingham, Massachusetts, United States
Number of days hospitalized for heart failure per patient-year of follow-up
Time frame: 90 days
All Cause Mortality
Time frame: 90 days
Cardiovascular Mortality
Time frame: 90 days
Number of days hospitalized for cardiovascular causes at 90 days
Time frame: 90 days
Number of days hospitalized for any cause
Time frame: 90 days
Change in health status as assessed by the SF-12
Time frame: 90 days
Change in self-care as assessed by the SCHFI
Time frame: 90 days
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