Integrated Telemonitoring and Nurse Support Evaluation

Integrated Telemonitoring and Nurse Support Evaluation in Heart Failure

The purpose of the study is to test a new medical device for optimizing treatment of heart failure and compare its effect on outcome of patients with a recent hospitalization for worsening heart failure

Patients after an episode of acute heart failure have an increased risk of rehospitalisation and impaired prognosis for survival. Neither a sole mobile nurse support nor a sole telemonitoring system has been able to provide consistent data on a beneficial influence on prognosis. Furthermore, the influence of frequent measurements of NT-pro-BNP in a home setting of heart failure patients has not been investigated so far.

This study will test a new medical device (software) for optimizing treatment of heart failure patients and evaluate its impact on outcome of these patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• acute systolic heart failure with admission for at least 4 consecutive days
• treatment with an ACE-inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker, beta-blocker, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist according to current ESC-guidelines
• treatment with a loop diuretic
• stable renal function (eGFR according to MDRD of at least 30ml)
• written informed consent
• minimum age of 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• unstable coronary artery disease with revascularisation of any type within the last two months
• planned revascularisation or operation for valvular heart disease within the next 6 months
• planned heart transplantation
• uncontrolled hypertension
• active myocarditis
• malignant disease with a life expectancy of less than 18 months
• chronic use of high-dose NSAID or COX-2-inhibitors
• psychiatric disorders that make it unlikely to understand the protocol
• participation in an other randomized trial
• inability to operate a smartphone