Use of telehealth by older adults to manage heart failure.

Telehealth, a clinical information system that transmits data over ordinary telephone lines, is used by individuals in their homes to communicate electronically with health care providers. This study investigated the influence of telehealth on self-management of heart failure in a sample of older adults. We hypothesized that the use of telehealth facilitates patient confidence, with subsequent effects on patients' ability to manage their treatment regimen more effectively. Patients in the intervention groups received a telehealth system during their episode of care; patients in the control groups received routine home visits only. Analyses, using a repeated measures design, found that confidence is a predictor of self-management behaviors. In addition, we found that patients using a video-based telehealth system showed the greatest gain in confidence levels with time. Managers and policy makers responsible for creating and funding programs that support the use of health information technologies by older adults can benefit from these results.