Fontane study: Telemedicine saves lives of heart patients
04.09.2018 12:06
The Fontane study by the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has proven for the first time that telemedical co-care can extend the lives of heart patients. In addition, telemedicine is equally suitable for patients in rural areas and metropolitan regions. The five-year study, in which more than 1,500 patients took part, was carried out with various partners and in close cooperation with two large health insurance companies. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded the project with 10.2 million euros. Now the results have been presented.
Around 1.8 million Germans suffer from chronic heart failure, and around 300,000 new cases occur every year. In the past ten years it has been the most common cause of inpatient admissions. As part of the research project “Health Region of the Future North Brandenburg – Fontane”, more than 1,500 patients with this heart disease were examined by the Center for Cardiovascular Telemedicine at the Charité. Half of them received telemedical care, the other half received conventional treatment. Medical care for patients at their place of residence was guaranteed by 113 cardiology and 87 primary care facilities nationwide. The aim of the study was to be able to treat patients outside of a hospital for as long as possible and to increase life expectancy and quality of life. It should also be examined whether telemedicine can compensate for structural deficits in medical care in rural areas compared to urban regions.
Thomas Rachel, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, explains: “The results of the Fontane telemedicine study financed by the Federal Ministry of Research show: Telemedicine works. It makes it possible to better care for patients with heart failure - regardless of whether they live in the country or in the city. The research results pave the way for the widespread use of telemedicine in Germany, so that hopefully all those affected will soon be able to benefit from better quality of treatment. I am pleased that research into medical technology innovations directly benefits patients here. An outstanding success of telemedicine was demonstrated here.”
The study results show that the telemedicine patients had to spend fewer days in the hospital due to unplanned cardiovascular events and lived longer: based on the one-year study period, they “lost” 17.8 days compared to 24.2 days in the control group. In addition, out of 100 heart failure patients, around 11 patients died in one year under regular conditions, while around 8 patients died with telemedical support. There was also an advantage for the telemonitoring group in terms of unplanned hospital days due to heart failure, at 3.8 compared to 5.6 days. These results were achieved regardless of whether the patient lived in a disadvantaged rural area or in a metropolitan area. Telemedicine is therefore suitable for balancing regional differences in care between cities and rural areas and improving the overall quality of care.
“We were convinced of this pioneering project from the start and are even more pleased that the results are so extremely positive. The telemedicine service primarily serves patients, but it also strengthens family doctors in rural regions, who primarily care for heart patients. The result shows that telemedicine ensures the quality of patient care - regardless of where they live. “In addition, it is an outstanding example of how primary care and university research at the Charité can work together in a practical and cross-national manner,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Frei, Medical Director of the Charité.