Dr Jo Middlemass, trial nurse, and Prof Niro Siriwardena who are members of the Clinical Trials for Elderly Patients with Multiple Diseases (CHROMED) (Funding by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme) attended the final investigator team meeting in Uppsala earlier this month (March 2016).
The study includes a consortium of seven European countries led by TESAN (Italy), Restech and including Del Politcnico Di Milano (Italy), University of Liverpool (UK), Tallina Tehnikaulikool (Estonia), Universitat De Barcelona (Spain), Uppsala Universitet (Sweden), Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge (Norway), Bolnisnica Sezana Zavod (Slovenia), University of Lincoln, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.
The CHROMED study has been investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a telemonitoring system for people with multiple chronic disease, specifically Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and heart disease. The trial in Lincoln involved a feasibility study of five patients and a randomisation cohort of 32 patients aged 65 years and above in Lincolnshire. The monitoring equipment included a novel device for measuring lung function (using a technique called forced oscillation) and a wrist clinic measuring pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and temperature.
The study has already shown evidence that monitoring can detect patients’ worsening condition, even before symptoms are apparent. The study data have now been collected and are being analysed to see whether the monitoring system has improved patients’ outcomes, quality of life and healthcare costs.