Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Valuing telecare using willingness to pay from the perspective of carers for people with dementia: a pilot study from the West Midlands
We carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the STAY telecare service (Sandwell Telecare Assisting You) for unpaid carers of people with dementia in the West Midlands. This was done from the perspective of the carers. We employed the willingness to pay (WTP) approach, an established economic method to quantify the benefits of healthcare. A questionnaire was given to 87 unpaid carers of people with dementia, and 34 completed questionnaires were returned (39%). Two WTP question designs were used (open-ended and bounded style). The annual mean WTP for telecare was £242-310 per person. Carers offered higher values if the c...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - May 9, 2014 Category: Information Technology Authors: Stephen, C., Sultan, H., Frew, E. Tags: RESEARCH/Original article Source Type: research

A pilot study of telepractice delivery for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss
Telemedicine ("telepractice") allows improved access to specialised early intervention services such as Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) for children with hearing loss. We investigated the effectiveness of a tele-AVT programme (eAVT) in the spoken language development of a group of young children with hearing loss. In a retrospective study we compared the language outcomes of children with bilateral hearing loss receiving eAVT with a control group who received therapy In Person. Seven children in each group (mean age 2.4 years) were matched on pre-amplification hearing level for the better hearing ear, age at optimal amplific...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - May 9, 2014 Category: Information Technology Authors: Constantinescu, G., Waite, M., Dornan, D., Rushbrooke, E., Brown, J., McGovern, J., Ryan, M., Hill, A. Tags: RESEARCH/Original article Source Type: research

A pilot study of a mobile-phone-based home monitoring system to assist in remote interventions in cases of acute exacerbation of COPD
We conducted a six-month feasibility study of a mobile-phone-based home monitoring system, called M-COPD. Patients with a history of moderate Acute Exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) were given a mobile phone to record major symptoms (dyspnoea, sputum colour and volume), minor symptoms (cough and wheezing) and vital signs. A care team remotely monitored the recorded data and provided clinical interventions. Eight patients (mean age 65 years) completed the trial. Ten acute exacerbations occurred during the trial and were successfully treated at home. Prior to the AECOPD episode, the combined score of the major symptoms increased...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - May 9, 2014 Category: Information Technology Authors: Ding, H., Karunanithi, M., Kanagasingam, Y., Vignarajan, J., Moodley, Y. Tags: RESEARCH/Original article Source Type: research

A study of automated self-assessment in a primary care student health centre setting
We evaluated the advice given by a prototype self-assessment triage system in a university student health centre. Students attending the health centre with a new problem used the automated self-assessment system prior to a face-to-face consultation with the general practitioner (GP). The system’s rating of urgency was available to the GP, and following the consultation, the GP recorded their own rating of the urgency of the patient’s presentation. Full data were available for 154 of the 207 consultations. Perfect agreement, where both the GP and the self-assessment system selected the same category of advice, o...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - May 9, 2014 Category: Information Technology Authors: Poote, A. E., French, D. P., Dale, J., Powell, J. Tags: RESEARCH/Original Article Source Type: research

Validity of a simple Internet-based outcome-prediction tool in patients with total hip replacement: a pilot study
We developed a user-friendly Internet-based tool for patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR) due to osteoarthritis to predict their pain and function after surgery. In the first step, the key questions were identified by statistical modelling in a data set of 375 patients undergoing THR. Based on multiple regression, we identified the two most predictive WOMAC questions for pain and the three most predictive WOMAC questions for functional outcome, while controlling for comorbidity, body mass index, age, gender and specific comorbidities relevant to the outcome. ...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - May 9, 2014 Category: Information Technology Authors: Stockli, C., Theiler, R., Sidelnikov, E., Balsiger, M., Ferrari, S. M., Buchzig, B., Uehlinger, K., Riniker, C., Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A. Tags: RESEARCH/Original article Source Type: research

The contribution of teledermatoscopy to the diagnosis and management of non-melanocytic skin tumours
We examined the contribution of dermatoscopy to the reliability of the diagnosis and management of non-melanocytic skin tumours using store-and-forward teledermatology. A total of 150 patients with non-melanocytic skin tumours were enrolled into the study. The reliability of the diagnoses and management plans was measured by comparing teledermatology with face-to-face examination; the effect of adding dermatoscopy images was also analysed. The accuracy of the diagnoses was measured by comparing teledermatology with histology; the effect of adding dermatoscopy images was also analysed. Diagnostic reliability (kappa) for tel...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Senel, E., Baba, M., Durdu, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

A pilot trial of the iPad tablet computer as a portable device for visual acuity testing
We evaluated the accuracy of an app for the iPad tablet computer (Eye Chart Pro) as a portable method of visual acuity (VA) testing. A total of 120 consecutive patients (240 eyes) underwent visual acuity test with an iPad 2 and a conventional light-box chart. The logMAR VA results from the iPad were significantly higher than those from the light-box (P < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a mean difference (bias) of 0.02 logMAR units between the VA results from the iPad chart and the light-box chart, with 95% limits of agreement of –0.14 to 0.19. Two groups of patients were defined: in Group 1 there were 182 e...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Zhang, Z.-t., Zhang, S.-c., Huang, X.-g., Liang, L.-y. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

A critical review of the use of telephone tests to identify cognitive impairment in epidemiology and clinical research
We reviewed the use of telephone tests to identify cognitive impairment. We searched PubMed for epidemiological studies and clinical trials reporting the use of telephone tests to identify cognitive impairment. Validation studies and papers published more than 10 years ago were excluded. A total of 132 abstracts were identified, from which 19 epidemiological studies and four clinical trials were selected. Telephone tests were found to reduce selection bias in epidemiology by including people over large areas and facilitating follow-up in longitudinal studies. The most widely used tests were the Telephone Interview for Cogn...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Herr, M., Ankri, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Non-response in telephone surveys of COPD patients does not introduce bias
We examined the telephone response rates in a 2-year study of patients with COPD to identify factors associated with non-response. A total of 381 patients received monthly telephone calls to assess symptoms and treatment in 2007 and 2008. A total of 9019 calls were made over 24 months, of which 73% were answered. The highest response rate was obtained in February 2007 (81%), and the lowest in July 2008 (48%). The monthly response rate was lower in the second year of follow up. There were 39 patients (10%) who were less frequent responders, with 10 or fewer responses. Less frequent responders were more likely to be current ...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Aanerud, M., Braut, H., Wentzel-Larsen, T., Eagan, T. M., Bakke, P. S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Relation between telecare implementation and number of treatment days in a Japanese town
We analysed data on the medical expenditure of 199 telecare users in Nishi-aizu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, which has one of the oldest ongoing telecare implementations in Japan. As controls, 450 out of 3528 non-users residents covered by National Health Insurance were randomly selected in the same age and sex ratios as the telecare users. An analysis by the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) was conducted in order to examine causality, i.e. that telecare use reduces the number of treatment days. To reduce sample selection bias, the presence of chronic diseases, age and education were added as control variables in the est...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Akematsu, Y., Tsuji, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Teleconsulting for minor head injury: the Piedmont experience
We evaluated the benefits of teleconsulting for patients hospitalised with minor head injuries in centres without neurosurgery. In the Piedmont region, 1462 consultation requests were received at specialist centres in 2009, relating to 519 patients with a minor head injury diagnosis (ICD 850–854). These were compared with the details of 1895 patients admitted with the same diagnosis during 2009, but for whom no consultations were requested. The mortality risk in the two groups was estimated using logistic regression, after adjusting for the principal confounding factors (sex, age, seriousness of the patient's injury ...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Migliaretti, G., Ciaramitaro, P., Berchialla, P., Scarinzi, C., Andrini, R., Orlando, A., Faccani, G. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Telephone follow-up for the management of thyrotoxicosis: a patient satisfaction survey
We conducted a postal survey to assess patient satisfaction with our use of telephone follow-up for the management of thyrotoxicosis. Patients were asked to answer nine questions using the five-point Likert scale. They could also make comments and suggestions for improvement. Over a 17-month period, 135 patients with thyrotoxicosis were followed up by telephone (32 males and 103 females, aged 17–85 years). Eighty-two completed questionnaires were returned (61% response rate). More than 90% of responders strongly agreed or agreed that they were comfortable with telephone follow-up, that it saved them time, that it met...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Davies, C., Vas, P., Oyibo, S. O. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

A randomised controlled trial of an SMS-based mobile epilepsy education system
We evaluated an epilepsy education programme based on text messaging (SMS). Epilepsy outpatients from three hospitals in Malaysia were randomised into two groups: intervention and control. Patients in the control group were supplied with printed epilepsy educational material while those in the intervention group also received text messages from the Mobile Epilepsy Educational System (MEES). A total of 136 patients completed the study (mean age 31 years; 91% Malay; 51% with an illness duration of more than 5 years). A between-group analysis showed that the awareness, knowledge and attitudes (AKA) about epilepsy did not sign...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Lua, P. L., Neni, W. S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Utilization of home telemonitoring in patients 75 years of age and over with complex heart failure
We conducted a chart review on all patients who had received home telemonitoring after an admission for heart failure at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. During a 5 year period (2005–2009) a total of 645 patients had home monitoring. A total of 594 patients met the inclusion criteria for the study and were divided into two groups: Group 1 (<75 years of age) contained 350 patients and Group 2 (≥75 years of age) contained 244 patients. There was no significant difference between the groups in the mean duration of follow-up by the telemonitoring team: it was 126.5 days in Group 1 and 125.4 days in Group 2...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Lemay, G., Azad, N., Struthers, C. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Implementation of a telehealth programme for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with long-term oxygen therapy
We conducted a pilot study of the effectiveness of home telehealth for patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with long-term oxygen therapy. Patients were randomized into a telehealth group (n = 24) and a control group (n = 21) who received usual care. Patients in the telehealth group measured their vital signs on weekdays and performed spirometry on two days per week. The data were transmitted automatically to a clinical call centre. After four months of monitoring the mean number of accident and emergency department visits in the telehealth group was slightly lower than in the control group ...
Source: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare - March 26, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Jodar-Sanchez, F., Ortega, F., Parra, C., Gomez-Suarez, C., Jordan, A., Perez, P., Bonachela, P., Leal, S., Barrot, E. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research