Outpatient versus inpatient initiation of home mechanical ventilation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a protocol for a randomised trial

INTRODUCTION. In-home non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is associated with prolonged life and improved quality of life in patients with hypoventilation due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The initiation of NIV is scheduled for a 1-2-night hospital stay. Telemedicine enables remote monitoring and adjustment of respiratory treatment. These possibilities should be examined to improve patients’ experiences and adherence to treatment while freeing up resources in the healthcare system. We hypothesise that outpatient initiation of NIV combined with close telemonitoring in patients with ALS is non-inferior to standard initiation of NIV in adherence to treatment. METHODS. This is a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority study. A total of 46 patients with ALS scheduled for initiation of NIV are randomised to start NIV either as an outpatient combined with close telemonitoring or during hospitalisation for 1-2 nights. The primary outcome is NIV adherence after three months, measured as minutes per day for the past seven days. Secondary outcomes are patient satisfaction with NIV treatment and its initiation after three months, assessed on a 1-5 rating scale. CONCLUSIONS. The study is the first randomised, controlled study assessing the combination of outpatient initiation of NIV and close telemedical follow-up in patients with a progressive neuromuscular disease. The results may be applicable to other patient populations initiating NIV, e.g., patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome. FUNDING.