Telehealth at scale can improve chronic disease management in the community during a pandemic: An experience at the time of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT:

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth became a vital resource to contain the virus's spread and ensure continuity of care of patients with a chronic condition, notably arterial hypertension and heart disease. This paper reports the experience based on a telehealth platform used at scale to manage chronic disease patients in the Italian community.

Methods and findings

Patients' health status was remotely monitored through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), resting or ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG), spirometry, sleep oximetry, and cardiorespiratory polysomnography performed in community pharmacies or general practitioners' offices. Patients also monitored their blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), body temperature, b

SUBMITTER: Omboni S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8480747 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature