Evaluation of Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Terms of Treatment Compliance and Quality of Life After Follow-up with Telemedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the follow-up and treatment processes for patients, and telemedicine has emerged as an important alternative method. Our aim was to test compare CAT scores, inhaler treatment tecnique and adherence between telemedicine-mediated healthcare and healthcare provided face-to-face. It is a prospective, randomized controlled, method clinical research study. Patients who were hospitalized with COPD exacerbation in the last year were included in the study and were divided into 2 groups, "telemedicine group" (n=37) and "control group" (n=37) by the sealed envelope randomization method, and were followed for a 3-month period. Planned teleconsultations were conducted at baseline, day 10 (1st visit), month 1(2nd visit), and month 3 (3rd visit). Additional teleconsultations have been scheduled if needed by the patients. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographic data and disease characteristics at baseline assessment. At the end of our study, the CAT score in the telemedicine group was determined as 9(0-30), while in the control group, it was 18(0-34)(p=0.019). The inhaler treatment technique was correct in 91.4% in the telemedicine group and in patients 65.7% in the control group (p=0.02). Inhaler treatment adherence was observed in 70.6% of patients in the telemedicine group and 55.9% in the control group (p>0.05). Additionally, The majority of patients expressed no concern about telemedicine follow-up, reported satisfaction with telemedicine follow-up. In conclusion, telemedicine has improved the quality of life and inhaler techniques in COPD patients.