HIV Infection
Conditions
Keywords
Telemedicine, Home care, Chronic HIV infection, HIV-infected patients
Brief summary
Background: Antiretroviral therapy has changed the natural history of the HIV infection in developed countries becoming a chronic disease. This clinical scenario would need a new approach to control patients, simplifying the follow-up visits and the accessibility to the healthcare professionals. A new home care model using a telemedicine system (Virtual Hospital) was developed.
Detailed description
Stable HIV-infected patients with access to a computer and broadband were randomized to: arm I, patients monitored by Virtual Hospital the first year and arm II patients monitored in the hospital the first year (standard of care). After 1 year of follow up, patients were crossed into the other arm. A Virtual Hospital was developed to integrate the control of patient in a multidisciplinary telecare team, allowing the patient to be remotely followed-up by the healthcare professionals through Internet. Virtual Hospital had four main services: Virtual Consultations, Telepharmacy, Virtual Library and Virtual Community. A technical and a clinical evaluation of Virtual Hospital were made.
Interventions
OTHERVirtual Hospital
A new home care model using a telemedicine system (Virtual Hospital) to care chronic HIV-infected patients
OTHERStandard of Care
Standard of Care
Sponsors
Bioengineering and Telemedicine Unit.Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Hospital Clinic of Barcelona
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Stable patients (CD4 \>250 cells/mm3 during at least the 3 months before inclusion to the study) * Having access to a computer and to a broadband
Exclusion criteria
* HIV infected adults with current therapy failure (defined by detectable viral load on treatment or CD4 cell count \< 250 cells/ml) * Tumors * Opportunistic infections * Pregnant women
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical evaluation of patients cared through Virtual Hospital | Two years | The main goals were the definition, development, clinical routine installation and evaluation of a telemedicine service that compares standard care with telecare follow-up for attending stable HIV-infected patients in the chronic phase of their disease. |
Countries
Spain
Outcome results
None listed