Diabetes Management Through Remote Patient Monitoring: The Importance of Patient Activation and Engagement with the Technology.

Background: The documented efficacy and promise of telemedicine in diabetes management does not necessarily mean that it can be easily translated into clinical practice. An important barrier concerns patient activation and engagement with telemedicine technology. Objective: To assess the importance of patient activation and engagement with remote patient monitoring technology in diabetes management among patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Ordinary least squares and logistic regression analyses were used to examine how patient activation and engagement with remote patient monitoring technology were related to changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) for 1,354 patients with type 2 diabetes monitored remotely for 3 months between 2015 and 2017. Results: Patients with more frequent and regular participation in remote monitoring had lower HbA1c levels at the end of the program. Compared to patients who uploaded their biometric data every 2 days or less frequently, patients who maintained an average frequency of one upload per day were less likely to have a postmonitoring HbA1c > 9% after adjusting for selected covariates on baseline demographics and health conditions. Conclusions: Higher levels of patient activation and engagement with remote patient monitoring technology were associated with better glycemic control outcomes. Developing targeted interventions for different groups of patients to promote their activation and engagement levels would be important to improve the effectiveness of remote patient monitoring in diabetes management.

Remote Patient Monitoring and Clinical Outcomes for Postdischarge Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in clinical outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) after a 3-month remote patient monitoring (RPM) program, and examine the relationship between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) outcomes and participant characteristics. The study sample included 955 patients with T2D who were admitted to an urban Midwestern medical center for any reason from 2014 to 2017, and used RPM for 3 months after discharge. Clinical outcomes included HbA1c, weight, body mass index (BMI), and patient activation scores. Logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood of having a postintervention HbA1c <9% by patient characteristics, among those who had baseline HbA1c >9%. Most patients experienced decreases in HbA1c (67%) and BMI (58%), and increases in patient activation scores (67%) (P < 0.001 in all 3 cases) at the end of RPM. Logistic regression analyses revealed that among patients who had HbA1c >9% at baseline, men (odds ratio [OR] = 3.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43-9.64), those who had increased patient activation scores after intervention (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09), those who had higher baseline patient activation scores, and those who had a greater number of biometric data uploads during the intervention (OR = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.04) were more likely to have reduced their HbA1c to <9% at the end of RPM. RPM for postdischarge patients with T2D might be a promising approach for HbA1c control with increased patient engagement. Future studies with study designs that include a control group should provide more robust evidence.

Life-threatening asthma and anaphylaxis in schools: a treatment model for school-based programs.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric asthma is the No. 1 chronic disease in childhood and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. In Nebraska, the number of asthma-related deaths is greater than the national average, and in 1998, 2 students died of acute asthma attacks while attending school in the Omaha public schools (OPSs). In response, we designed and implemented a program to respond to this problem. OBJECTIVE: To implement and study a school-based program for the treatment of life-threatening asthma and anaphylaxis in the OPSs. METHODS: The Emergency Response to Life-Threatening Asthma or Systemic Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis) Protocol was designed and evaluated in 78 OPSs from 1998 to 2003. Nurses and school staff were trained in the protocol, which required the use of nebulized albuterol and/or intramuscular epinephrine in conjunction with an emergency response procedure. Outcomes were measured by improvement in acute care in schools and survival of students. RESULTS: In the 5 years of evaluation, 98 students were treated successfully. One student died. Of those treated with the protocol, equal numbers had at school both asthma action plans (AAPs) and metered-dose inhalers (MDIs), MDIs only, or neither AAPs nor MDIs. As a result of the program, there has been an increased awareness from parents, teachers, and physicians about the necessity of an emergency response program. In 2002, an outcome of the OPS program resulted in the formation of Attack on Asthma Nebraska to ensure that Nebraska schools have the education, training, and medications to respond to anyone experiencing a life-threatening asthma or anaphylaxis attack at school. The following year, a revised protocol was approved by the Nebraska State Board of Education for use in all Nebraska schools. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency response protocols provide protection for children while in school. This program should serve as a national model for other school-based programs for children and adolescents with asthma and anaphylaxis.