The use of remote mointoring to assess ventilator adherence and outcome within a regional home mechanical ventilation service

Introduction: Home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is a recognised evidence-based intervention for patients in chronic respiratory failure (CRF). However there is a paucity of evidence on the adherence to this treatment. Modern technological advances in healthcare have allowed the exploration of remote monitoring. This study examined the adherence of HMV and evaluated the clinical outcomes associated with adherence in a variety of patient populations. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out between May to June 2016. Adherence data was downloaded through remote monitoring on 62 patients. Primary outcomes included changes in blood gases at 3 and 6 months, and hospital admissions 12 months pre- and post-ventilation. Qualitative outcomes were obtained through a questionnaire conducted via telephone interviews. Results: Patients undertaking remote monitoring of HMV demonstrated an adherence rate of 90.3% (mean [SD] = 7h17min [2h53min]). No significant difference in adherence was found between patients of different aetiologies. The blood gases improved significantly at 3 months compared to baseline (p Conclusion(s): This study has demonstrated that contrary to existing evidence, the adherence to HMV was extremely good across all diseases and we hypothesise remote monitoring may play a role in this increased adherence.