A New Telemedicine Approach for Chronic HIV/AIDS Patient Home Care

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.

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.

A new home care model using a telemedicine system (Virtual Hospital) to care chronic HIV-infected patients

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.

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

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Leon A, Caceres C, Fernandez E, Chausa P, Martin M, Codina C, Rousaud A, Blanch J, Mallolas J, Martinez E, Blanco JL, Laguno M, Larrousse M, Milinkovic A, Zamora L, Canal N, Miro JM, Gatell JM, Gomez EJ, Garcia F. A new multidisciplinary home care telemedicine system to monitor stable chronic human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: a randomized study. PLoS One. 2011 Jan 21;6(1):e14515. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014515.