A telemedicine system to support a new model for care of chronically ill patients.

We have developed a new model for the care of chronically ill patients, based on home care supported by remote monitoring technology and telemedicine. The variables monitored included non-invasive blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, threelead electrocardiogram, spirometry (including flow-volume curve) and respiratory rate. The telemedicine system consisted of a home-based patient unit and a management centre that received information from the home units. The chronic care management centre was installed in two hospitals, in Spain (Barcelona) and Belgium (Leuven). We expect this to result in significant cost-savings and a better quality of care.