Telemedicine effective for heart failure

ADELAIDE, Australia, April 13 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of South Australia say monitoring patients' health by phone can make a real difference to those with chronic heart failure.

A review published in the British Medical Journal found that remote monitoring programs -- structured telephone support or telemonitoring by a health professional -- reduced admissions to hospital and deaths from all causes by nearly one-fifth.

The telephone monitoring also improves health-related quality of life, according to lead researcher Robyn A. Clark of the University of South Australia in Adelaide.

The meta-analysis concludes that remote monitoring should not be seen as a replacement for specialist care, but it may be of particular benefit to patients who have difficulty accessing specialized care because of geography, transportation or infirmity.