Do telemedical interventions improve quality of life in patients with COPD? A systematic review

In this review paper, researchers examined the impact of telehealth interventions on quality of life (QOL) in individuals with COPD. Eighteen studies met their criteria for inclusion; of these, the results of three studies (17%) showed significant QOL improvement in the intervention group when compared to the controls. While the telehealth interventions varied by study, the authors grouped them into two approaches: 1) the telehealth delivery of standard of care and 2) a telehealth service that extends standard of care (which they divide into active and passive interventions). The authors discuss the possible benefits of active vs. passive interventions; question the reasonableness of expecting a change in QOL following telehealth interventions; and offer thoughts on future directions for this work.