A telephone-linked computer system for COPD care.

The current revolution in communications technology provides an opportunity for novel approaches to management of medical illness. As economic imperatives lead to a progressive reduction in the time that health-care providers spend with their patients, computerized, telephone-linked communication systems offer an inexpensive, widely available alternative with which patients and providers can maintain contact. Such systems may be particularly useful for providing ongoing monitoring and education of patients with chronic illnesses such as COPD. In this article, we describe the general application of telephone-linked communication systems in the health-care setting. We then present in detail one such system, which provides telephone-linked care for COPD (TLC-COPD). The operation of the system is described, as are its theoretical underpinnings in social learning theory. A randomized clinical trial currently is being performed to study the effects of the TLC-COPD system. The rationale for expected improvements in disease control and quality of life, and for a reduction in acute health-care utilization, is discussed.

当前通信技术的革命为医疗疾病的管理提供了新方法的契机。由于经济上的需要导致医疗服务提供者与患者相处的时间逐渐减少，计算机化的、与电话相连的通信系统提供了一种廉价且广泛可用的替代方式，患者和医疗服务提供者可借此保持联系。这类系统对于为慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）等慢性病患者提供持续监测和教育可能特别有用。在本文中，我们描述了电话连接通信系统在医疗环境中的一般应用。然后我们详细介绍了一个这样的系统，它为慢性阻塞性肺疾病提供电话连接护理（TLC - COPD）。文中描述了该系统的运行方式，以及它在社会学习理论中的理论基础。目前正在进行一项随机临床试验来研究TLC - COPD系统的效果。还讨论了预期在疾病控制和生活质量改善以及急性医疗利用减少方面的基本原理。