[Non-device-based telemonitoring : Toy or tool?]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Digital Health
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Non-device-based telemedical management aids in preventing decompensation and death in chronic conditions like heart failure (HF).
• Key parameters indicating imminent HF deterioration include heart rate, blood pressure, body weight, and arrhythmias.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize current knowledge on non-device-based telemedical care for heart failure (HF) patients.
• To evaluate the impact of different telemedical configurations on clinical outcomes in HF.

Main Methods:

• Review of studies on structured telephone support and noninvasive telemonitoring with electronic data transfer for HF patients.
• Analysis of parameters associated with HF clinical deterioration.

Main Results:

• Automated telephone response systems alone were unsuccessful.
• Noninvasive telemonitoring did not significantly reduce mortality in low-risk HF patients on optimal therapy.
• Meta-analyses suggest structured telephone support and telemonitoring may reduce HF mortality risk by 13-20%.

Conclusions:

• Telemedical care's impact on HF outcomes depends on the specific approach and patient population.
• Further research, like the TIM-HF II trial, is needed to clarify the role of telemonitoring in high-risk HF patients.