Telemonitoring interventions for persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A systematic review

Background: Telemonitoring is increasingly used within chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for early exacerbation detection and personalized follow-up. Yet, evidence on acceptability, theoretical basis, content, outcomes and professional roles remains limited. Aim: To assess whether telemonitoring interventions are associated with reduced hospital admissions and readmissions. To evaluate acceptability, content, theoretical approaches, outcome measures, and healthcare professionals’ involvement in telemonitoring interventions designed to reduce hospital admissions and readmissions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Randomized controlled trials were identified from CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE. Two reviewers independently assessed, appraised, and extracted data. Results: Fourteen studies were included; results on effectiveness were limited and conflicting. Only three studies reported significant reductions. Seven assessed patient acceptability. Substantial heterogeneity existed in design, content, definitions, and professional involvement. Conclusions: Conflicting evidence and methodological diversity hinder firm conclusions, underscoring the need for clearer definitions, standardized methods, and robust trials to determine telemonitoring’s true impact.