Trial aims

New therapy standards are only implemented if they meet one of the following criteria: In comparison to usual care, they have to be a) medically equal at lower costs or b) medically superior at equal or slightly higher costs. In remote monitoring systems it still has to be proved if they have an additional benefit compared with current therapy standards. Only those trials meeting the highest scientific and methodic standards can give answers to these questions.

An international clinical trial („TEN-HMS-trial“), lead by the cardiologist John Cleland, for the first time proved evidence in 2005 that additional remote monitoring is medically superior in comparison to usual care and even can reduce costs. But these study results scarcely can be transmitted to Germany.

The clinical trial TIM-HF ("Telemedical Interventional Monitoring in Heart Failure") analyzes the new remote monitoring system. Does it really help people who suffer from chronic heart failure? Main criterion for control of success ("primary endpoint") is the overall mortality rate. Both study groups, "standard therapy" and "remote monitoring", are compared with each other. Further questions are analyzed, e.g.:

Does additional remote monitoring in patients with CHF in comparison to usual care

• increase the patients' quality of life
• reduce the hospitalization rate and length and
• increase the cost-effectiveness of the therapy?

Do you have further questions? Please refer to the principal investigators. Your contact partners:

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Friedrich Köhler (for the region Berlin/ Brandenburg)
+49 30 450 514 112
friedrich.koehler[at]charite.de

Dr. med. Michael Schieber (for the region Baden-Württemberg)
+49 711 8101 3450
michael.schieber[at]rbk.de