Telemonitoring

Abstract

Telemedicine is involved in a variety of fields. While interest for health care has only become evident recently, the sudden rise in health care costs is forcing medical practitioners to seek practical, cost effective solutions. Information Technology (IT) and, in particular, the latest methods for remote surveillance via teleassistance interventions seem to be promising. Chronic diseases have become an increasingly bigger issue for public healthcare. Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are chronic conditions that present with progressive muscle atrophy leading to difficulties for walking, swallowing, and eventually, breathing and clearing the airways. Chronic respiratory insufficiency in NMDs develops insidiously and at very variable rates. The specific characteristics of it displayed by these patients require planning and may benefit by telemedicine solutions. However there is still little information regarding the advantages of this technology for this patient population.