Telemedicine help with heart failure

Telemedicine: Help for patients with heart failure

11/10/2014

Telemedicine is helping to increase the likelihood of survival for patients with low cardiac output. This emerges from a recent study by the University of Greifswald. The study also examined the health economics aspects.

Survival probability of participants increased
Among other things, a recent study by the Institute for Community Medicine of the University Medical Center Greifswald shows that the well-structured care in the telemedicine care program of the AOK Northeast is increasing, „AOK Curaplan Heart Plus“, demonstrably the probability of surviving the participants in the first two years after participation. This emerges from a press release of the Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald. Accordingly, the AOK had commissioned the study to scientifically test the effectiveness of the program.

Also health economic aspects tested
One group of program participants was compared to a control group of non-participants for analysis, focusing on two aspects: on the one hand, the likelihood for the patients in each group to live one or two years after the start of the program was assessed. And on the other hand, it should be examined here on the basis of a concrete example of how investing in such a supply program can also lead to health economic effects. Both in terms of medical and health effects, the results show a positive impact of the program.

Positive effects of the program proved
Thus, the analysis demonstrated that the well-structured telemedicine care provided in the program has been shown to increase the survival rate of participating insured persons in the first two years of participation: the patients in the sensitivity analysis who actively participate in AOK-Curaplan Heart Plus had one to 70 percent higher probability of survival than non-participants. Prof. Dr. med. Wolfgang Hoffmann, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medical Center Greifswald, said: „The results of the evaluation clearly show the great opportunities of telemedicine care for this patient group. After two years the survival probability was significantly better in the participant group than in the control group.“

Telephone support and telemedicine monitoring
In addition, positive economic effects could be demonstrated. The savings effects are thus significantly higher than the program costs, especially in the sensitivity analysis. AOK-Curaplan Herz Plus focuses on detecting signs of imminent critical deterioration of heart failure, a so-called decompensation, in good time and being able to intervene immediately. Patients are stabilized in regular outpatient care and hospital treatment is avoided. Basically, the concept consists of two important pillars: On the one hand, individual counseling and care for patients and, on the other, telemedical monitoring of signs and symptoms of heart failure. The latter includes, for example, a body weight which increases due to water retention, which can lead to an increase in weight due to cardiac insufficiency.

Insured persons feel well looked after in the program
According to the data, more than 3,000 AOK North East insured are now enrolled in the program, which received the first prize of the 2014 MSD Health Award in September. Is carried out „AOK Curaplan Heart Plus“ from the AOK Nordost together with the German Association for Patient Aid (DGP) and the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin. As stated, the AOK North East and DGP had already measured the effectiveness of their program in the past through their own analyzes and patient satisfaction surveys, and found positive results. According to various surveys, the participating insured in the program well looked after and thus feel safer. (Ad)