Telemonitoring has been promoted as a potential solution to the management of rising numbers of patients worldwide with long term health problems. Although there is some evidence that such interventions empower patients to change behaviour, their effect on clinical outcomes is not clear.1 In a linked paper (doi:10.1136/bmj.f6070), Pinnock and colleagues report the results of their telemonitoring trial in 256 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admitted to hospital in the previous year with an exacerbation.2
COPD is one of the most common long term conditions and is expensive because exacerbations often lead to hospital admission. Patients are encouraged to self manage their disease by recognising exacerbations and self medicating to limit the impact of an exacerbation (action planning), thus avoiding admission. Cochrane systematic reviews conclude that education on self management is associated with a reduced risk of hospital admission,3 although action plans with limited education have no effect.
COPD is one of the most common long term conditions and is expensive because exacerbations often lead to hospital admission. Patients are encouraged to self manage their disease by recognising exacerbations and self medicating to limit the impact of an exacerbation (action planning), thus avoiding admission. Cochrane systematic reviews conclude that education on self management is associated with a reduced risk of hospital admission,3 although action plans with limited education have no effect.
