Telehealth and Diabetes Self-Management

• Background:    Diabetes self-management has always been an integral part of diabetes management and access to care for diabetics requires time and travel for patients in this rural county. Telehealth technology is a tool that can provide access to diabetic educators and nutritionists in this rural county  
• The Executive Summary:  Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes- 2013 lists diabetes self-management education, support, and a standard of care for all diabetics at the time of diagnosis and as needed thereafter.  Effective self-management and quality of life are key outcomes of the DSME and should be measured as part of care.  This clinic instituted a pilot study utilizing telehealth technology.

• Aims:  The purpose of this study is to determine if diabetes education through telehealth will improve outcomes in hemoglobin A1C and BMI measurements in a 3-month period.

• Methods:  Retrospective data collection (chart review) of a current pilot project.  Hemoglobin A1C and BMI will be measured before and after the intervention.

• Results:  N= 20.  The mean hemoglobin A1C scores were decreased after the intervention.  The mean BMI scores did not change.  A paired sample t-test was performed using SPSS and the hemoglobin A1C scores were significant, while the BMI were not significant.  Project conducted in 2014.
• Discussion:  Follow up care was difficult as some participants did not come back after the intervention for their follow up lab work. 
• Linking evidence to actions:  The Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2014 list diabetes self-management as an important step in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Implications for practice:  Telehealth can be an effective, low-cost method of delivering diabetes self-management education and should be offered to some populations to enhance access to care.
• Conclusions:  Telehealth interventions are a viable solution to lack of access to care for some populations.