Short-term follow up after hospital discharge in COPD
Who is the patient population?
In cluster 4, the targeted patient population is COPD patients discharged from the hospital after disease exacerbation.
What characterises the interventions?
The details of the telemedicine interventions and the technologies used differ between the regions. Detailed information at regional level can be found in specific area.
However, all interventions in Cluster 4 are characterised by the following:
- Implementing and assessing short-term follow-up interventions in randomised controlled trials
- Aim to reduce the readmission frequency as their primary goal and an increase in patients' quality of life
- Offer virtual and visual communication btw. patient and health professional through video
- Remote monitoring and transmission of vital sign measurement (lung capacity and oxygen saturation)
- In parallel evaluate the economic and organisational impact of the interventions, and examine the user acceptability of the telemedicine applications (both patients and professionals).
What are the expected results at cluster level?
The result will - part from individual trial assessments using MAST - be a meta-analysis which calculates the overall effects at cluster level within all aspects of MAST. Also it will investigate the causes for possible differences between regions and thus provide valuable knowledge and documentation for short-term telemedicine intervention for COPD patients discharged from the hospital after disease exacerbation based on the data from the three regional trials.
Which regions participate?
Region of Southern Denmark - Denmark
Region of Central Greece - Greece
Timing
| Start of trial/inclusion of patients | Inclusion complete* | Follow-up period ended | Expected time of publishing of results* | |
| Region of Southern Denmark | June 2010 | October 2011 | April 2012 | Ultimo 2012 |
| Catalonia | ||||
| Region of Central Greece | Spring 2011 | June 2012 | June 2013 | 2013 |
*Please note that these are estimates and are subject to change as the trial progress.