Nurse tele-consultations with discharged COPD patients reduce early readmissions–an interventional study.
Source: Sorknæs et al. 2011 - Pubmed ID: 21159138
Setting: Denmark, University hospital
RCT
Follow up: 4 weeks
Sample size:
Total: 102 (100)
IG: 50 (50)
CG: 52 (50)
Inclusion criteria:
- Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Acute exacerbation
Home monitoring
- Physical status
- Saturation
- Lung function
Videoconference
- Physical status
- Saturation
- Lung function
- Information
- Exacerbation prevention
- Medications
Intervention: Nurse teleconsultations with discharged COPD patients. Daily video consultation at home with a nurse based at the hospital for approximately one week. At least one follow-up call and they could call the nurse for the rest of the study period. One button to contact the nurse and one alarm button. If the patient presses the alarm button, a short message service goes to the nurse. Nurse was able to measure saturation and perform spirometry. Follow up visit by a doctor
Duration: 4 weeks
Add on: NA
Control group: Usual care
Clinical effect:
- Early readmission↓
- Patients readmitted with any disease→
- Patients readmitted with ECOPD→
- Total LOS of ECOPD→
- Total LOS of any disease→
Patient safety: NA
Patient experience:
- Satisfaction 63%-98%
- Each patient had eight (1–18) consultations and two (0–11) follow-up phone calls
- The hotline function was used by nine patients up to seven times
Staff experience: NA
Investment:
Equipment
- The Briefcase development
- Measurement devices
Running:
Equipment
- The Briefcase
- Measurement devices
Staff
- Patient training
- Technical instalation
Organization:
- Development of new skills
Health care utilization:
- Early readmission↓
- Patients readmitted with any disease→
- Patients readmitted with ECOPD→
- Total LOS of ECOPD→
- Total LOS of any disease→