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Tourkmani AM, Alharbi TJ, Rsheed AMB, Alotaibi AF, Aleissa MS, Alotaibi S, Almutairi AS, Thomson J, Alshahrani AS, Alroyli HS, Almutairi HM, Aladwani MA, Alsheheri ER, Sati HS, Aljuaid B, Algarzai AS, Alabood A, Bushnag RA, Ghabban W, Albaik M, Aldahan S, Redda D, Almalki A, Almousa N, Aljehani M, Alrasheedy AA. A Hybrid Model of In-Person and Telemedicine Diabetes Education and Care for Management of Patients with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Findings and Implications from a Multicenter Prospective Study. TELEMEDICINE REPORTS 2024; 5:46-57. [PMID: 38469168 PMCID: PMC10927235 DOI: 10.1089/tmr.2024.0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Background Patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) require close follow-up, support, and education to achieve glycemic control, especially during the initiation or intensification of insulin therapy and self-care management. This study aimed to describe and evaluate the impact of implementing a hybrid model of in-person and telemedicine care and education on glycemic control for patients with uncontrolled T2DM (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] ≥9%) during the coronavirus disease pandemic. Methods This prospective multicenter-cohort pre-/post-intervention study was conducted on patients with uncontrolled T2DM. This study included three chronic illness centers affiliated with the Family and Community Medicine Department at Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A hybrid model of in-person (onsite) and telemedicine care and education was developed. This involved implementing initial in-person care at the physicians' clinic and initial in-person education at the diabetes education clinic, followed by telemedicine services of tele-follow-ups, support, and education for an average 4-month follow-up period. Results Of the enrolled 181 patients, more than half of the participants were women (n = 103, 56.9%). The mean age of participants (standard deviation) was 58.64 ± 11.23 years and the mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 13.80 ± 8.55 years. The majority of the patients (n = 144; 79.6%) were on insulin therapy. Overall, in all three centers, the hybrid model had significantly reduced HbA1c from 10.47 ± 1.23% to 7.87 ± 1.59% (mean difference of reduction 2.59% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.34-2.85%], p < 0.001). At the level of each center, HbA1c was reduced significantly with mean differences of 3.17% (95% CI = 2.81-3.53%), 2.49% (95% CI = 1.92-3.06%), and 2.16% (95% CI = 1.76-2.57%) at centers A, B, and C, respectively (all p < 0.001). Conclusion The findings showed that the hybrid model of in-person and telemedicine care and education effectively managed uncontrolled T2DM. Consequently, the role of telemedicine in diabetes management could be further expanded as part of routine diabetes care in primary settings to achieve better glycemic control and minimize nonessential in-person visits when appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla M. Tourkmani
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Turki J. Alharbi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz M. Bin Rsheed
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Azzam F. Alotaibi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed S. Aleissa
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sultan Alotaibi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal S. Almutairi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jancy Thomson
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahlam S. Alshahrani
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hadil S. Alroyli
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hend M. Almutairi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashael A. Aladwani
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eman R. Alsheheri
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hyfaa Salaheldin Sati
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Budur Aljuaid
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Abood Alabood
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reuof A. Bushnag
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wala Ghabban
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammed Albaik
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salah Aldahan
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalia Redda
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Almalki
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Noura Almousa
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Chronic Illness Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Alian A. Alrasheedy
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
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Russo GT, Andreozzi F, Calabrese M, Di Bartolo P, Di Cianni G, Bruno Giorda C, Lapice E, Manicardi E, Giandalia A, Lucisano G, Nicolucci A, Rocca A, Rossi MC, Spreafico E, Vespasiani G, Manicardi V. Role of telemedicine during COVID-19 pandemic in type 2 diabetes outpatients: The AMD annals initiative. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2022; 194:110158. [PMID: 36400169 PMCID: PMC9663380 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2022.110158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Telemedicine is advocated as a fundamental tool in modern clinical management. However, data on the effects of telemedicine vs face-to-face consultation on clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are still uncertain. This paper describes the use of telemedicine during the 2020 COVID-19 emergency and compares volume activity and quality indicators of diabetes care between face-to-face vs telemedicine counseling in the large cohort of T2DM patients from the AMD Annals Initiative. METHODS Demographic and clinical characteristics, including laboratory parameters, rate of the screening of long-term complications, current therapies and the Q-score, a validated score that measures the overall quality of care, were compared between 364,898 patients attending face-to-face consultation and 46,424 on telemedicine, during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Patients on telemedicine showed lower HbA1c levels (7.1 ± 1.2 % vs 7.3 ± 1.3 %, p < 0.0001), and they were less frequently treated with metformin, GLP1-RAs and SGLT2i and more frequently with DPP4i. The telemedicine group showed reduced monitoring of the various parameters considered as process indicators, especially, eye and foot examination. The proportion of patients with a good quality of care (Q score > 25) was higher among those receiving face-to-face consultation. Moreover, in the telemedicine group, all major clinical outcomes remained stable when further compared to those collected in the year 2019, when the same patients underwent a regular face-to-face consultation, suggesting that the care provided through telemedicine did not negatively affect the most important parameters. CONCLUSIONS During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine provided an acceptable quality of diabetes care, comparable to that of patients attending face-to-face consultation, although a less frequent screening of complications seems to have occurred in subjects consulted by telemedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina T Russo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Andreozzi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Italy.
| | | | - Paolo Di Bartolo
- Ravenna Diabetes Center, Dept of Specialist Medicine, Romagna Local Health Authority, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Annalisa Giandalia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lucisano
- CORESEARCH - Center for Outcomes Research and Clinical Epidemiology, Pescara, Italy
| | - Antonio Nicolucci
- CORESEARCH - Center for Outcomes Research and Clinical Epidemiology, Pescara, Italy
| | - Alberto Rocca
- Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases UOS, "G.Segalini", H.Bassini Cinisello Balsamo, ASST Nord Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Rossi
- CORESEARCH - Center for Outcomes Research and Clinical Epidemiology, Pescara, Italy
| | - Emanuele Spreafico
- UOSD of Endocrine and Metabolic Disease and Nutrition, ASST Brianza, Pio XI Hospital, Desio, (MB), Italy
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