Arq. Bras. Cardiol. 2022; 118(3): 605-606
Is There a Role for Telemonitoring in Heart Failure?
Mônica Samuel Avila
, Deborah de Sá Pereira Belfort
This Short Editorial is referred by the Research article "Telemonitoring in Heart Failure – A Single Center Experience".
Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of cardiovascular hospitalization in the world. Mortality rate ranges from 5% to 15%, and up to 50% of patients are readmitted in the emergency department in 90 days after discharge. Different strategies have been implemented in recent years to avoid readmission, and telemedicine is a growing field in this scenario. The use of telecommunication technologies brings potential advantages when compared to in-person care, overcoming organizational and geographic barriers. However, divergent results in randomized trials evaluating the efficacy of telemedicine in reducing heart failure hospitalizations and mortality discouraged the routine use of digital resources in clinical practice until the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this issue of Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, retrospective observational research evaluated the impact of an advanced telemonitoring program in a heart failure population. Thirty-nine patients were included, and the researchers compared the number of hospitalizations one year before the program, with hospitalizations during the program. The program used vital signs and variables such as heart rate, blood pressure, weight variation, peripheral blood oxygenation, temperature, and a seminal 3-derivation electrocardiogram. Thirty-four patients were included in the final analysis. The authors reported a 66% reduction in emergency department admissions and a reduction of 68% in heart failure hospitalizations, considering the patients themselves as controls.
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