Group diabetes education administered through telemedicine: tools used and lessons learned.
Telemed J E Health
; 18(5): 347-53, 2012 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22468984
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To describe the use of telemedicine for teaching group diabetes education classes to individuals with diabetes mellitus in a rural medically underserved area. SUBJECTS ANDMETHODS:
Adults with diabetes from a rural area served by Oswego Hospital in upstate New York were asked to participate in this study. Volunteers received diabetes education through real-time teleconferencing (n=27) by joining age- and sex-matched patients from the Joslin Diabetes Center, Syracuse, NY, in our "Living with Diabetes Class" (n=39). The two 3-h sessions offered comprehensive diabetes education by a diabetes nurse educator, dietitian, and exercise physiologist. These sessions were followed in 3 months by a 3-h follow-up class. Each group receiving tele-education consisted of two or three patients with diabetes.RESULTS:
The hemoglobin A1c test (a blood test that estimates the overall average glucose levels over the past 3 months) improved in the face-to-face and the telemedicine groups. There was no significant change in weight between groups. Each group had significant improvements in scores on the Problem Areas In Diabetes survey, which is a measure of emotional functioning in diabetes. Diabetes treatment satisfaction as measured in the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire improved in the face-to-face group but not in the telemedicine group. Although the face-to-face group had significantly higher scores in the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, the telemedicine group was highly satisfied with the services provided.CONCLUSIONS:
Telemedicine offers an effective alternative approach for providing group diabetes education to individuals with poor access to diabetes education programs.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Educación del Paciente como Asunto
/
Telemedicina
/
Servicios de Salud Rural
/
Diabetes Mellitus
/
Área sin Atención Médica
Tipo de estudio:
Qualitative_research
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Telemed J E Health
Asunto de la revista:
INFORMATICA MEDICA
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Año:
2012
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos