Telemonitoring to Manage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet #Preprint #PeerReviewMe: Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint. Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn. Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period. Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author). Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death throughout the world. Telemedicine has been utilized for many diseases, and its prevalence is increasing in the U.S. Telemonitoring of patients with COPD has the potential to help patients manage disease and predict exacerbations. The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of telemonitoring to manage the chronic disease of COPD. Objective: Researchers want to look at how telemonitoring has been used to observe COPD, and we’re hoping this will lead to more research in telemonitoring of this disease. Methods: The review was conducted and reported in accordance with Assessment for Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), respectively. Authors performed a systematic review of Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed databases to obtain relevant articles. Then, articles were accepted or rejected by group consensus. Each article was read and authors identified barriers and facilitators to effectiveness of telemonitoring of COPD. Results: The review’s results indicate that conflicting information exists for the effectiveness of telemonitoring of patients with COPD. Primarily, 13 of 29 articles stated that patient outcomes were improved overall with telemonitoring, while 11 of 29 indicated no improvement. For facilitators, authors recognized reduced need for in-person visits, better disease management, and bolstered patient-provider relationship. Important barriers included low-quality data, increased workload for providers, and cost. Conclusions: The high variability between the articles and the ways they provided telemonitoring services created conflicting results from the literature review. Future research should emphasize standardization of telemonitoring services and predictability of exacerbations.