To assess the effect of second generation, home based telehealth on health related quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms over 12 months in patients with long term conditions.
For long term conditions, telehealth has been promoted to reduce healthcare costs while improving health related quality of life (HRQoL), by facilitating self monitoring with remote surveillance by healthcare professionals.
Evidence for the benefits of telehealth is ambivalent, with little empirical evidence on benefits on psychological outcomes.
Methodologically rigorous trials of telehealth in relation to health related quality of life and psychological outcomes are required
What this study adds
Compared with usual care, second generation telehealth had no effect on HRQoL, anxiety, or depressive symptoms for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, or heart failure over 12 months
The findings suggest that claims for potentially salutary or deleterious effects of telehealth are unfounded for most patients
Telehealth should not be introduced with the aim of improving quality of life or psychological outcomes
See on www.bmj.com
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