The Empirical Foundations of Telemedicine Interventions for Chronic Disease Management

The September 2014 issue of Telemedicine and E-Health featured a systemic review by Dr. Rashid Bashshur and Dr. Gary Shannon from the University of Michigan and the University of Kentucky, respectively, of evidence from studies on the effects of telemedicine in the management of chronic diseases, specifically, congestive heart failure (CHF), stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The review found that remote patient monitoring of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients for disease management resulted in between 15% and 56% decreased mortality, compared to CHF patients who received traditional care.