TELEMEDICINE

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of hospital admissions in persons over the age of 65. However, the use of communication technology to monitor clinical status, is gaining attention as a novel disease management strategy to improve the care of patients with chronic illness. To this end, telemonitoring holds particular promise for patients with heart failure, who may experience deterioration in their health status with an increase in weight and symptoms over a period of days and weeks before presenting to a physician and requiring hospitalization. Tele-HF is a system of frequent monitoring which can alert clinicians to the early signs and symptoms of decompensation, providing the opportunity for intervention before patients become severely ill and require hospitalization. Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. HYPOTHESIS: The primary objective of the study is to determine the effect of automated symptom and self-reported weight monitoring compared with usual cause on the combined endpoint of all cause hospitalization and mortality in patients recently hospitalized for heart failure. Moreover, patients participation in communicating information about their weight and health status on a daily basis could have a favorable effect on their health behaviors, including adherence to medical recommendations. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that this intervention will have impact on the number of office visits with the clinician receiving information from the telemonitoring system. To test the hypothesis that this intervention will significantly reduce the cost of inpatient and outpatient medical care. To test the hypothesis that self-reported weight monitoring will enhance patients satisfaction with care. To test the hypothesis that telemonitoring will significantly reduce the rate of hospital readmission for heart failure.