Cell Phone + PHR = Diabetes Management

Two hospitals in the District of Columbia will test patient access via cell phones to personal health records software as a way to better manage high-risk diabetics in underserved areas.


Two hospitals in the District of Columbia will test patient access via cell phones to personal health records software as a way to better manage high-risk diabetics in underserved areas.

The George Washington University Hospital and Howard University Hospital will develop a program to use cell phones to enable patients to maintain electronic diaries of their weight, blood glucose levels and blood pressure. Participating patients will be given a cell phone and a PHR populated with electronic health record data from the Howard University Diabetes Treatment Center.

Values entered into the phone that do not match clinician-set ranges will trigger an alert on the screen and information on correcting the problem and getting help. The goal of the pilot is to better control glucose levels, improve lifestyle behavior, and reduce emergency and hospital visits.

The one-year pilot program will use personal health records from NoMoreClipboard.com, Fort Wayne, Ind. The program, and a parallel pilot that also involves cell phones, are funded through a $399,000 grant from the DC Department of Health.

--Joseph Goedert

 

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