Telecardiology Assistance in Senior Living Houses

Abstract

The CHF (chronic heart failure) represents one of major cause of mortality and morbidity in developed countries. It is expected that incidence of heart failure associated with aging, will rise exponentially, due to its higher prevalence among population over 75 years. The SLH (senior living house) is missing an adequate secondary healthcare assistance in order to provide a qualitative secondary prevention to the resident. We have conducted a pilot project of telecardiology in one senior living house in 2013, with duration of 6 months; we decided to expend the project as an observational trial with primary objective to evaluate impact of telemedicine on secondary prevention of clinical cardiovascular outcomes/hospitalization in senior living house setting and secondary objectives to evaluate quality of life using Minnesota living with Heart Failure questionnaire and to evaluate cost savings and additional benefits earned by telemedicine. For the study, 85% powered at the 5% level of significance; to detect differences, we need 310 patients, including 10% drop out. As results, during the pilot project, 23 patients with median age of 86 years were monitored; we are currently enrolling new senior living house and patients with CHF that resides in senior living house.