[Tecuide. Telemonitoring of patients with dementia and their caregivers]

Abstract

Introduction: Given the growing increase in dementia, the need to control these patients, together with the rise of new technologies, makes a change in the current control system imperative.

Material and method: We have carried out a single-center, clinical study with two groups, a control group of 72 patients/caregivers, who followed the usual controls in consultations, and another telematic group of 76 patients/caregivers, who followed the controls through of the Tecuide platform. The platform had a survey part to detect problems in patients and caregiver claudication, another training part and another chat for direct communication when the caregiver needed it and also served to respond when a problem was detected.

Results: After a year of monitoring with the platform we have obtained: a)in patients, reduce behavioral disorders and use of drugs, increase physical exercise and delay institutionalization (DS not found); b)in caregivers there is an improvement in satisfaction with respect to the control of patients with cognitive impairment, and c)in terms of resources, visits to emergency services and dementia consultations have decreased, although admissions to the psychogeriatric unit have increased.

Conclusions: The use of Tecuide as a telematic tool in the control of patients with cognitive impairment does not seem to be inferior to the usual controls in consultations and improves caregiver satisfaction.

Keywords: Caregivers; Cuidadores; Demencia; Dementia; Telemedicina; Telemedicine.