Use of Telehealth as a New Model for Following Intermittent Claudication and Promoting Patient Expertise.

BACKGROUND: A change in healthcare systems is needed, due to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases. Patient empowerment improves results in terms of patient quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction. INTRODUCTION: We have developed a telehealth program Control Telehealth Claudication Intermittent (CONTECI) for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), aimed at enhancing patient satisfaction and QoL, while improving health system efficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial of patients with PAD, at the intermittent claudication stage. Study subjects were randomized into either (1) an intervention arm (IA), which utilized our CONTECI program for promoting patient self-management, or (2) a control arm (CA), utilizing the familiar system of in-person patient visits. All patients were followed up at 1 year. RESULTS: The trial included 150 patients, 75 in each arm. Complications were diagnosed more quickly in the IA (7.85 days standard deviation (SD) 9.95 vs. 53.89 days SD 41.56; p = 0.016) compared with the CA. Rest pain decreased (1.4% vs. 8.4%; p = 0.05) in the IA group, as did the number of scheduled visits-decreased by 95.95%-and the number of emergency visits (p = 0.017). QoL scores in IA patients improved from baseline (67.87 vs. 72.25; p = 0.047), as did patient satisfaction (67.36 vs. 76.78; p = 0.03). DISCUSSION: Telemedicine can improve health results and aid communication and visit scheduling. Our e-Health programs are financially viable. CONCLUSIONS: Self-management using the CONTECI telehealth program is feasible for patients with PAD. The program promotes patient expertise, encourages proactivity, increases QoL and satisfaction with disease control, and improves health resource use, with no evidence of clinical inferiority to conventional practices.

Factores pronóstico de las metástasis pulmonares de cáncer colorrectal / Prognostic factors of colorectal cancer lung metastases

lntroducción carcinoma colorrectal es la tercera neoplasia más frecuente y la segunda causa de muerte por cáncer en los países desarrollados. Aproximadamente el 10% de los pacientes con este diagnóstico desarrollan metástasis pulmonares, Si bien solo el 2-4% de ellos tienen metástasis pulmonares como única localización de recidiva. Objetivo Estudio de los factores pronóstico de las metástasis pulmonares de carcinoma colorrectal. Pacientes y métodos Estudio observacional retrospectivo de 30 pacientes afectos de metástasis pulmonares de carcinoma colorrectal intervenidos quirúrgicamente en nuestro centro desde enero de 2003 hasta diciembre de 2007.ResultadosSe intervinieron un total de 30 pacientes, 19 varones (63%) y 11 mujeres (37%) con una edad media de 63,37 años (intervalo 35-82 años). La supervivencia global media fue de 36,64 meses (intervalo 18,58-54,70 meses).Para el análisis estadístico se consideraron 13 parámetros, tanto preoperatorios como intra- y postoperatorios. En el análisis univariante, el número de metástasis superior a 3 (p=0,051), la bilateralidad (p=0,001) y la bilobularidad (p<0,001) fueron factores de mal pronóstico estadísticamente significativos. En el análisis multivariante, solo la bilobularidad demostró ser un factor de mal pronóstico estadísticamente significativo (p=0,005). Conclusiones En nuestra serie de pacientes afectos de metástasis pulmonares de carcinoma colorrectal, el número de metástasis superior a tres, la bilobularidad y la bilateralidad resultaron factores de mal pronóstico. Dichos factores deben tenerse en cuenta en el seguimiento de estos pacientes, aunque se necesitan estudios prospectivos con mayor número de casos para confirmar dichos hallazgos (AU)

Introduction Colorectal cancer is the third most common neoplasia and the second cause of death due to cancer in developed countries. Approximately 10% of patients with this diagnosis develop lung metastases, although only 2-4% of them have lung metastases as the only extension location. Objective To study the prognostic factors of colorectal cancer lung metastases. Patients and methods A retrospective observational study was conducted on 30 patients with colorectal cancer lung metastases who were operated on in our hospital between January 2003 and December 2007.ResultsOf the 30 patients who received surgery, 19 were males (63%) and 11 were female (37%), with a mean age of 63.37 years (range 35-82 years). The mean overall survival was 36.64 months (range 18.58-54.70 months).A total of 13 pre-, intra-, and postoperative parameters were used in the statistical analysis. In the univariate analysis, the number of metastases greater than 3 (P=.051), whether they were bilateral (P=.001), or bilobar (P<.001), were statistically significant factors of a poor prognosis. In the multivariate analysis, only being bilobar was shown to be a statistically significant factor of a poor prognosis (P=.005).Conclusions In our patient series affected by colorectal carcinoma lung metastases, the number of metastases greater than three, whether they are bilobar and bilateral, are factors of a poor prognosis. These factors should be taken into account in the follow-up of these patients, although prospective studies with a larger number of patients are required to confirm these findings (AU)