Table 1.
Baseline characteristic of the patients (n=281) enrolled in the tele health care study divided according to the group assignment
| Tele monitoring, N=141 | Controls, N=140 | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Females, N (%) | 86 (61%) | 63 (45%) | 0.007 |
| Age, years | 69.8 (9.0) | 69.4 (10.1) | 0.75 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.9 (6.3) | 26.9 (7.0) | 0.013 |
| FEV1 %pred | 34.9 (13.3) | 33.8 (12.0)a | 0.48 |
| MRC dyspnea score, mean (range) | 3.5 (2–5) | 3.7 (1–5) | 0.09 |
| Current smokers, N (%) | 35 (24.8%) | 47 (33.6%) | 0.10 |
| Pack years, mean (range) (N=133/116)b | 42.9 (0–210) | 41.0 (0–110) | 0.72 |
| Long-term oxygen therapy, N (%) | 37 (26.2%) | 38 (27.1%) | 0.86 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 1.70 (1.49) | 1.96 (1.51) | 0.13 |
| Living alone, % | 57.9% | 52.2% | NS |
| Hospital admissions for COPD exacerbation in the year prior to enrollment, mean (range) | 1.41 (0–7) | 1.22 (0–23) | 0.61 |
| Medication for COPD, N (%) | |||
| Oral prednisolonec | 10 (7.1%) | 14 (10.0%) | 0.68 |
| Roflumilast | 8 (5.7%) | 5 (3.6%) | 0.39 |
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 129 (91.5%) | 128 (91.4%) | 0.57 |
| Long-acting antimuscarinic agents | 131 (92.9%) | 120 (85.7%) | 0.99 |
| Long-acting β2-agonists | 134 (95.0%) | 136 (97.1%) | 0.54 |
Notes: Values are mean (and standard deviation) unless otherwise specified. All P-values are comparisons between the TM and control group.
a
Data missing for one patient;
b
data missing for patients 8 and 24, respectively.
c
maintenance therapy.
Abbreviations: FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; MRC, Medical Research Council; TM, tele monitoring; NS, not significant.