The use of telemonitoring to remotely support patients with managing COPD did not reduce their risk of being admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation, according to the authors of a one-year randomised study.
Patients receiving the telemonitoring intervention were just as likely to end up in hospital as a result of an exacerbation as those who were not remotely monitored, despite having many more telephone consultations and home visits and the approach is unlikely to be cost-effective, the researchers found.