Toward web-guided health care?

Friday, 21 January 2011 14:01

Research news

 A study was carried out in Denmark and Ireland on 333 patients with ulcerative colitis treated with 5-ASA to evaluate a control group receiving usual care versus a group treated via web consultation. 

After a 3-h training session for the “web” group, data were analyzed over a 1-year period.

In addition to evaluating the feasibility of this new type of approach, patient compliance, quality of life, disease outcome, safety and cost were analyzed for the two groups.

Overall, the web-guided approach was successful, with no difference between groups in terms of adverse events, hospitalization, relapse of the disease or delay in treatment.  The quality of life was clearly improved in the Danish group.

The study revealed that, although some disparities existed between the two countries, the web-guided approach permitted shortening the duration of relapse, better follow-up treatment and a reduction in both cost and the number of  routine visits.

Références :

Margarita Elkjaer, Mary Shuhaibar, Johan Burisch, Yvonne Bailey, Hanne Scherfig, Birgit Laugesen, Søren Avnstrøm, Ebbe Langholz, Colm O'Morain, Elsebeth Lynge, Pia Munkholm. E-health empowers patients with ulcerative colitis: a randomised controlled trial of the web-guided ‘Constant-care’ approach,  Gut 2010;59:1652-1661 doi:10.1136/gut.2010.220160