Effectiveness and Cost Impact of a Telecommunications System in COPD
Status and phase
Conditions
Treatments
Details and patient eligibility
About
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic illnesses among veterans in the adult population, and accounts for substantial morbidity and mortality in this population. Interventions that enhance symptom self-monitoring and increase understanding of COPD therapy may lead to earlier detection of clinical deterioration permitting more timely intervention by health care providers. However, such interventions are labor-intensive and expensive, and typically require patients to go to a medical facility on a regular basis. A novel means of providing such interventions is a Telephone-Linked Computer (TLC) system, a computer-based telecommunications system that can monitor, educate, and counsel patients through regular automated conversations in patients� homes. In previous studies, we have demonstrated the applicability of TLC technology in the clinical monitoring of adults with chronic disease conditions such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
Full description
Background:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic illnesses among veterans in the adult population, and accounts for substantial morbidity and mortality in this population. Interventions that enhance symptom self-monitoring and increase understanding of COPD therapy may lead to earlier detection of clinical deterioration permitting more timely intervention by health care providers. However, such interventions are labor-intensive and expensive, and typically require patients to go to a medical facility on a regular basis. A novel means of providing such interventions is a Telephone-Linked Computer (TLC) system, a computer-based telecommunications system that can monitor, educate, and counsel patients through regular automated conversations in patients� homes. In previous studies, we have demonstrated the applicability of TLC technology in the clinical monitoring of adults with chronic disease conditions such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
Objectives:
The objectives of the study were to determine whether a telecommunications system for COPD care (TLC-COPD) leads to improvements in functional status and quality of life (QOL) as well as to reductions in health care utilization and costs exceeding the TLC intervention.
Methods:
The study was designed in the form of a randomized controlled trial involving subjects with COPD who receive care at two Boston-area VA hospitals. Subjects were assigned to either TLC-COPD or a usual care control group.
Status:
Complete.
Enrollment
Sex
Volunteers
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
COPD diagnosis; FEV, < _65% pred; FEV, /FVC<_85% pred
Exclusion Criteria:
Trial design
300 participants in 1 patient group
Trial contacts and locations
Loading...
Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
Clinical trials
Research sites
Resources
Legal