The use of the Internet to remotely monitor patients with heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) results in high hospitalization rates and healthcare costs. Telemonitoring of HF has been shown to result in improved outcomes but usually involves the use of expensive equipment. A more feasible alternative may be the use of a Web site. The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of a Web site designed for HF telemonitoring. Patients newly referred to a heart function clinic were screened for eligibility. Twenty participants were recruited and entered their weight and symptoms onto the Web site for 6 months. A nurse monitored the Web site for changes in participant health status and telephoned the participants as necessary. Self-care, quality of life, 6-minute walk test, and N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were assessed. Interviews were conducted to assess intervention uptake. Seventeen participants completed the study. A significant change was observed on the maintenance subscale of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (p = 0.039). There was a trend toward improvement on the confidence subscale of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (p = 0.069), Minnesota Living With Heart Failure((R)) Questionnaire (p = 0.337), 6-minute walk test (p = 0.124), and NT-proBNP (p = 0.210). Participants and nurses demonstrated a favorable uptake of the Web site. A Web site that facilitates the telemonitoring of patients with HF was favorably accepted and its use in this pilot study was associated with improved self-care skills. However, further investigation is warranted in a larger study population.

A systematic review of telemonitoring technologies in heart failure.

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) results in characteristic signs and symptoms including oedema and breathing difficulties. Heart failure is particularly suited to telemonitoring, because patients' signs and symptoms can be assessed remotely by healthcare providers, and deterioration can be quickly detected and addressed. In this paper, we review studies conducted in HF telemonitoring, to describe the nature of the modality, the methods, and the results. METHODS AND RESULTS: Articles were obtained through a MedLine search, utilizing the term heart failure in conjunction with the terms telehealth, telecare, telemonitoring, web, Internet, remote monitoring, and self-monitoring. Studies utilizing various modalities, including telephone touch pad, specialized hardware, and websites for participants to enter data were found, with various benefits being reported. Most studies demonstrated improvements in outcome measures, including improved quality of life and decreased hospitalizations. However, not all studies reported the same improvements and in several cases the sample sizes were relatively small. CONCLUSION: Telemonitoring appears to be an acceptable method for monitoring of HF patients. Controlled, randomized studies directly comparing different modalities and evaluating their success and feasibility when used as part of routine clinical care, are now required.

"One step procedure" local anaesthesia for inguinal hernia repair in ambulatory surgery conditions--district general hospital experience.

UNLABELLED: Ambulatory surgery refers to hospitalization that does not exceed 24 hours, during which a surgical procedure is performed. Inguinal hernia repairs done under local anaesthesia on an outpatient basis are no longer performed exclusively in specialized hernia centers. They are becoming widely accepted by surgeons working in district hospitals, which was significantly contributed to by the publication of the EHS Guidelines on the Treatment of Inguinal Hernia. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this retrospective study is to show local anaesthesia practicability for inguinal hernia repairs through "one -step procedure", being a one-day procedure used in District General Hospital. METHODS: From January 2006 to June 2011, 460 elective surgery procedures were performed on 428 patients with inguinal hernia (396 with unilateral and 32 with bilateral inguinal hernia), using Lichtenstein technique, UHS/PHS, plug repair, and Shouldice technique. All the proceduress were performed under local anaesthesia by the same surgeon using "one-step procedure" in ambulatory surgery. The following anaesthetics were used: Lidocaine for intradermal and subcutaneous anaesthesia as well as Bupivacaine/Levobupivacaine for subfascial anaesthesia. RESULTS: From January 2006 to June 2011, 460 surgical procedures were performed on 428 patients with inguinal hernia (396 with unilateral and 32 with bilateral inguinal hernia). The mean age was 58.2 yrs (20-84). All the patients were in the ASA I-III group. In unilateral hernias, the mean operating time using Lichtenstein technique was 38mins (28-56), using PHS/UHS 28mins (22-40), with plug 33mins (27-39) and using Shouldice technique 43mins (32-53). In bilateral hernias, the mean operating time using Lichtenstein technique was 71mis (56-87), and using PHS /UHS 56mins (49-64). The mean hospital stay was 2.9hrs (2-6). The mean distance of residence from the hospital was 23km (1-150). During the course of the surgery, 15 patients (3.5%) had problems such as pain, bradycardia, hypotension, or perspiration. The complications during the mean follow-up of 31 months (1-60) was: 1.4% (6 patients)--a hematoma, 1.87% (8 patients)--seroma, 0.47% (2 patients)--wound infection, 0.23% (1 patient)--chronic pain, and 0.47% (2 patients)--recurrence. Revision due to active bleeding was conducted in two patients (0.47%), after using PHS and Lichtenstein techniques. These were the only patients who were rehospitalized due to complications. CONCLUSION: In hernia repairs on an outpatient basis, "one-step procedure" in local anaesthetic administration is reliable, easy, safe, effective, and the type of the surgical technique is not a determining factor. The success rate and treatment outcome depend on the surgical technique and the surgeon's experience in using local anaesthesia in ambulatory surgery.

Prevalence and characteristics of home Internet access in patients with cardiovascular disease from diverse geographical locations.

BACKGROUND: Patients living outside of urban centres do not have access to the same level of care as patients in cities. The use of the Internet has been suggested as a possible resolution to this geographic inequity. OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of Internet use in patients with cardiovascular disease and the patterns of use. METHODS: Cardiac inpatients of an urban tertiary and a northern regional hospital in British Columbia were invited to participate. Patients who could not speak English or who had mental impairment were excluded. Consenting patients were interviewed regarding demographics and home Internet use. RESULTS: A total of 294 patients participated. The mean (+/- SD) age was 64.0+/-12.7 years. Most participants were men (68%) of European ancestry (77%) with some postsecondary education (57%). All geographical regions of British Columbia were represented. A total of 66% of patients had home Internet access. In rural areas, 47% of patients had access to the Internet (P=0.020 compared with nonrural areas). Eighty-four per cent of patients with Internet access had a high-speed connection, 55% reported using the Internet daily and 23% used it more than once per week. Accessing health information from the Internet was reported by 70% of patients. CONCLUSION: These data indicate a high prevalence of Internet use among English-speaking cardiac patients and a strong desire to obtain health information using the Internet. Health care organizations can take advantage of the Internet to develop and evaluate the delivery of cardiac services to patients in their homes, particularly to patients in rural and remote communities.