The use of telemedicine in lung diseases with focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT

Telemedicine is emerging and has both clinical, scientific, and political interest. In this review, we present the present literature on implementation and describe the economic considerations when implementing telemedicine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The use of telemedicine in COPD is well-received by patients, but there is little evidence to suggest its superiority to standard outpatient care or to support better outcomes for patients. Thus, local settings and cost effectiveness should be considered during the implementational process.