Patient Outcomes

Asthma

Asthma: Patient Outcomes

There is strong evidence that home telehealth is at least as effective as usual care in significantly improving lung function and reducing asthma symptoms. There is moderate evidence that it tends to be more effective, but under-reporting of significance levels for between-group comparisons makes it difficult to establish clinical superiority […]

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Patient Outcomes

Summary There is strong evidence that home telehealth can reduce COPD exacerbations significantly more than usual care. The ability of home telehealth to significantly improve other measures of physiological function, such as response to exertion, is supported by moderate evidence.  The paucity of studies reporting on this particular outcome means that the generalizability of these […]

Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure: Patient Outcomes

Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure: Patient Outcomes

Summary There is strong evidence that significant short-term improvements in functional status are achievable through home telehealth. Evidence of long-term improvement is insufficient.  Our review retrieved only one intervention that lasted longer than four months, and there is some evidence to suggest that improvements in functional status lessen over time.  Further research into long-term outcomes […]

Cardiovascular Disease, Coronary Artery Disease: Patient Outcomes

Cardiovascular Disease, Coronary Artery Disease: Patient Outcomes

Summary There is moderate evidence that home telehealth can reduce cardiac-related deaths.  However, we recommend that this finding be interpreted with extreme caution; few studies have examined mortality rates and its generalizability cannot be determined. There is moderate evidence associating home telehealth with improvements in functional status that are equal or superior to those seen […]

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes: Patient Outcomes

Summary There is strong evidence that home telehealth has the potential to lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), generally without increasing frequency of hypoglycemia.  There is also strong evidence that this reduction can be significantly greater than that achieved with usual care.  This outcome may be due in part to improvements in disease knowledge and increased frequency […]

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes: Patient Outcomes

Summary There is strong evidence that home telehealth can significantly improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes.  Furthermore, this finding appears remarkably robust; over two-thirds of the studies that reported on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) found significant improvements in patients using home telehealth.  In most cases, these improvements are significantly greater than those seen […]

Renal Disease

Renal Disease: Patient Outcomes

Summary At present, there is extremely limited evidence on the effects of home telehealth on patients’ clinical status, self-efficacy, self-management ability, or quality of life. The quality of the studies that do exist is sub-optimal.  A liberal interpretation of their findings might provide grounds for cautious optimism, but the need for further research is unquestionable.  […]

Stroke

Stroke: Patient Outcomes

Summary There is strong evidence that rehabilitation programs using home telehealth can be as or more effective than usual care.  These programs almost invariably involve regular real-time interaction between patient and provider.  Feedback is immediate rather than asynchronous.  In this respect, rehabilitation programs using home telehealth bear a closer resemblance to their conventional counterparts than […]