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Published on: November 4, 2010
Telehealthcare for asthma.
Susannah McLean1, David Chandler, Ulugbek Nurmatov
1Allergy & Respiratory Research Group, Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 1, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, EH8 9AG.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 8, 2010
Summary
Telehealthcare interventions show no significant improvement in asthma quality of life. However, they may reduce hospitalizations, particularly for severe asthma patients, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Digital Health
Background:
- Growing global prevalence of asthma necessitates innovative healthcare delivery models.
- Telehealthcare, defined as remote, electronically facilitated healthcare, is a key policy consideration for asthma management.
- This review focuses on the effectiveness of telehealthcare interventions for individuals with asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the efficacy of telehealthcare interventions in improving asthma care outcomes.
- To synthesize findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on telehealthcare for asthma.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO) and handsearching.
- Inclusion of completed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) specifically addressing telehealthcare for asthma.
- Independent data extraction and appraisal by two reviewers, with meta-analyses performed for dichotomous and continuous variables.
Main Results:
- Twenty-one RCTs were included, utilizing diverse technologies like telephone, video-conferencing, internet, and Short Message Service (SMS).
- Meta-analysis indicated no clinically significant improvements in asthma quality of life (mean difference in AQLQ: 0.08).
- A significant reduction in hospitalizations (OR 0.21) was observed over 12 months, most pronounced in severe asthma cases managed in secondary care, while emergency department visits showed a non-significant increase.
Conclusions:
- Telehealthcare interventions are unlikely to yield clinically relevant benefits for mild asthma.
- Telehealthcare may offer a valuable role for managing severe asthma and reducing hospital admission risks.
- Further research is essential to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of various telehealthcare strategies in asthma management.
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