[Telemetric monitoring reduces visits to the emergency room and cost of care in patients with chronic heart failure]. / El seguimiento telemétrico disminuye la visita a la sala de urgencias y coste de atención en enfermos con insuficiencia cardíaca crónica.

BACKGROUND: Tele-cardiology is the use of information technologies that help prolong survival, improve quality of life and reduce costs in health care. Heart failure is a chronic disease that leads to high care costs. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of telemetric monitoring for controlling clinical variables, reduced emergency room visits, and cost of care in a group of patients with heart failure compared to traditional medical consultation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized, controlled and open clinical trial was conducted on 40 patients with Heart failure in a tertiary care centre in north-western Mexico. The patients were divided randomly into 2 groups of 20 patients each (telemetric monitoring, traditional medical consultation). In each participant was evaluated for: blood pressure, heart rate and body weight. The telemetric monitoring group was monitored remotely and traditional medical consultation group came to the hospital on scheduled dates. All patients could come to the emergency room if necessary. RESULTS: The telemetric monitoring group decreased their weight and improved control of the disease (P=.01). Systolic blood pressure and cost of care decreased (51%) significantly compared traditional medical consultation group (P>.05). Admission to the emergency room was avoided in 100% of patients in the telemetric monitoring group. CONCLUSION: In patients with heart failure, the telemetric monitoring was effective in reducing emergency room visits and saved significant resources in care during follow-up.