Internet-Based Diabetes Care Efficient, High Quality

An examination of the efficacy of an Internet-based diabetes care regimen revealed the quality of care was equal to that of exclusively face-to-face appointments, and also saved significant time for patients and clinicians


An examination of the efficacy of an Internet-based diabetes care regimen revealed the quality of care was equal to that of exclusively face-to-face appointments, and also saved significant time for patients and clinicians.

The multi-institutional Spanish study was published in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics.

The six-month study included patients 18 years or older with Type 1 diabetes, treated with multiple insulin doses and with a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of more than 8 percent. The researchers compared an intervention group, which underwent two face-to-face and five telematic appointments with a control group, which underwent seven face-to-face appointments.

The time used by the control group to follow the program was 823±645 minutes versus 353±222 minutes in the intervention group, and the intervention group required less healthcare time from the professionals (288±105 minutes vs. 232±89 minutes.

The researchers also found HbA1c improved in both groups, as did knowledge and self-care treatment adherence.

"The use of interactive telematic appointments in subjects with Type 1 diabetes and inadequate metabolic control is an efficient strategy, providing results comparable to those of face-to-face appointments in relation to improvement in glycemic control, knowledge acquisition, and self-care treatment adherence, with a significant reduction in the time used, especially by patients," the researchers concluded.

The study is available here.

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