Cross-sectional study about the use of telemedicine for type 2 diabetes mellitus management in Spain: patient's perspective. The EnREDa2 Study

Continuous glucose monitoring for the routine care of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Although continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are now considered the standard of care for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus, the uptake among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been slower and is focused on those receiving intensive insulin therapy. However, increasing evidence now supports the inclusion of CGM in the routine care of people with T2DM who are on basal insulin-only regimens or are managed with other medications. Expanding CGM to these groups could minimize hypoglycaemia while allowing efficient adaptation and escalation of therapies. Increasing evidence from randomized controlled trials and observational studies indicates that CGM is of clinical value in people with T2DM on non-intensive treatment regimens. If further studies confirm this finding, CGM could soon become a part of routine care for T2DM. In this Perspective we explore the potential benefits of widening the application of CGM in T2DM, along with the challenges that must be overcome for the evidence-based benefits of this technology to be delivered for all people with T2DM.

Are We Adequately Measuring Patient Satisfaction with Telemedicine? A Systematic Review with a Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Telemedicine has gained significant attention as an effective means of providing health care remotely, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient satisfaction is a critical aspect of implementing telemedicine, but we have no comprehensive understanding of satisfaction levels and the associated factors. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess patient satisfaction related to telemedicine consultations and to identify key factors influencing satisfaction levels. Results: The search yielded a total of 147 cross-sectional studies, of which 107 met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Overall, patient satisfaction with teleconsultations was found to be high, with satisfaction levels ranging from 38 to 100 on a scale of 0 to 100. Only a small percentage (2.72%) of the studies reported satisfaction levels below 75%. Surprisingly, most studies used nonvalidated satisfaction questionnaires, which highlight the need for the development of standardized measurement instruments. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence that patients generally exhibit high levels of satisfaction with telemedicine consultations. The use of nonvalidated satisfaction questionnaires in many studies, however, suggests a need for more standardized assessment tools. Factors such as the time interval between the consultation and the assessment were found to influence satisfaction levels. Understanding these factors can help health care providers improve telemedicine services and patient-provider relationships and optimize health care delivery in the context of telemedicine. Further research is warranted to develop validated satisfaction measurement instruments and explore any additional factors that influence patient satisfaction with telemedicine.

Telemedicine in Elderly Hypertensive and Patients with Chronic Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

One aspect of the distancing measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that telemedicine consultations have increased exponentially. Among these consultations, the assessment and follow-up of patients with chronic diseases in a non-presential setting has been strengthened considerably. Nevertheless, some controversy remains about the most suitable means of patient follow-up.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the impact of the telemedicine measures implemented during the COVID-19 period on chronic patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A systematic review was carried out using the following databases: PubMed, Pro-Quest, and Scopus. The systematic review followed the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search equation utilized descriptors sourced from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus. The search equation was: "hypertension AND older AND primary care AND (COVID-19 OR coronavirus)" and its Spanish equivalent.

RESULTS

The following data were obtained: 14 articles provided data on 6,109,628 patients and another 4 articles focused on a study population of 9684 physicians. Telemedicine was less likely to be used by elderly patients (OR 0.85; 95% C.I. 0.83-0.88; p = 0.05), those of Asian race (OR 0.69; 95% C.I. 0.66-0.73; p = 0.05), and those whose native language was not English (OR 0.89; 95% C.I. 0.78-0.9; p = 0.05). In primary care, lower use of telemedicine was associated with residents of rural areas (OR 0.81; p = 0.05), patients of African American race (OR 0.65, p = 0.05), and others (OR 0.64; p = 0.05). A high proportion (40%) of physicians had no prior training in telemedicine techniques. The highest quality in terms of telephone consultation was significantly associated with physicians who did not increase their prescription of antibiotherapy during the pandemic (OR = 0.30, p = 0.05) or prescribe more tests (OR 0.06 p = 0.05), i.e., who maintained their former clinical criteria despite COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine is of proven value and has been especially useful in the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed remote-presential model is most efficient. Appropriate training in this area for physicians and patients, together with correct provision, is essential to prevent errors in implementation and use.

How Physicians in a Moroccan Tertiary Care Center Perceive Teleconsultation During COVID-19 Pandemic?

Background: Recent technological advances have paved the way for a new modality of medical practice known as teleconsultation. Positive perceptions about the benefits of teleconsultation and its acceptance by clinicians are key predictors of its uptake. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, perceptions, and acceptability of teleconsultation among Moroccan physicians. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at the Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital (HCK) of Casablanca, Morocco. Study participants answered an anonymous self-administered questionnaire designed based on similar studies. The questionnaire contained four sections related to demographic characteristics, knowledge about telemedicine and teleconsultation, perceptions about teleconsultation, and its acceptability by the study participants. Results: Of 486 eligible participants, a total of 212 completed the questionnaire. Approximately 96.7% had prior knowledge of teleconsultation. Most participants identified internet access (95.3%), data security (93.4%), and confidentiality (92.9%) as the main facilitators to the use of teleconsultation. The main barriers to the use of teleconsultation were internet access issues (98.6%), poor audio quality (96.2%), poor video quality (94.3%), and difficulty encountered by patients in expressing themselves and communicating with their physician (79.7%). The majority of participants (91.5%) believed that teleconsultation will be an integral part of future medical practice and about 70.8% thought that they would be able to allot time to teleconsultation in their current schedules. Conclusions: The findings of this study should be used by policy makers to remove barriers and promote enablers of teleconsultation use by physicians to bring health care closer to the Moroccan population.

From hands-on to remote: Moderators of response to a novel self-management telehealth programme during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

In March 2020, state-wide lockdowns were declared in many countries, including Spain. Citizens were confined to their homes and remotely supported activities were prioritized as an alternative to in-person interactions. Previous data suggest that remote and self-management interventions may be successful at reducing pain and related psychological variables. However, individual factors influencing the effectiveness of these interventions remain to be identified. We aimed to investigate the psychological and motivational factors moderating changes in pain observed in chiropractic patients undertaking a novel telehealth self-management programme.

METHODS

A cohort of 208 patients from a chiropractic teaching clinic was recruited to participate in the study. Patients received telehealth consultations and individualized self-management strategies tailored for their current complaint. They were encouraged to make use of these strategies daily for 2-4 weeks, whilst rating their pain intensity, motivation and adherence. Validated questionnaires were completed online to assess catastrophizing, kinesiophobia and anxiety.

RESULTS

A total of 168 patients completed the first 2 weeks of the programme, experiencing significant reductions in all variables. Kinesiophobia emerged as a key factor influencing pain reduction and moderating the association between motivation and pain relief. In turn, adherence to the programme was associated with lower pain intensity, although moderated by the degree of motivation.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of COVID-19, when introducing remote and self-management strategies, pain cognitions and motivational factors should be taken into consideration to foster adherence and yield better pain outcomes.

Physicians’ Perceptions of Telemedicine Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Perceptions of Patients and Physicians on Teleconsultation at Home for Diabetes Mellitus: Survey Study

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most challenging diseases in the 21st century and is the sixth leading cause of death. Telemedicine has increasingly been implemented in the care of patients with DM. Although teleconsultations at home have shown to be more effective for inducing HbA_1c reduction than other telemedicine options, before the 2019 coronavirus disease crisis, their use had been lagging behind. Studies on physicians’ or patients’ perceptions about telemedicine have been performed independently of each other, and very few have focused on teleconsultations. In a time of great pressure for health systems and when an important portion of health care has to be assured at a distance, obtaining insights about teleconsultations at home from the stakeholders directly involved in the health care interaction is particularly important.

Objective

The perceptions of patients and physicians about their intentions to use home synchronous teleconsultations for DM care are examined to identify drivers and barriers inherent to programs that involve home teleconsultations.

Methods

Two identical questionnaires integrating the technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and assessing the confidence in information and communication technology use of patients and physicians were developed. Responses by patients (n=75) and physicians (n=68) were analyzed using canonical correlation analysis.

Results

Associations between predictor constructs (performance, effort, social influence, facilitating conditions, and attitude) and intention to use yielded significant functions, with a canonical R² of 0.95 (for physicians) and 0.98 (patients). The main identified barriers to patient intention to use were the expected effort to explain the medical problem, and privacy and confidentiality issues. The major drivers were the facilitation of contact with the physician, which is beneficial to patient disease management and treatment, time savings, and reciprocity concerning physicians’ willingness to perform teleconsultations. Responses from physicians revealed an association between intention to use and the expected performance of home teleconsultations. The major barrier to intention to use expressed in physicians’ answers was doubts concerning the quality of patient examination. The major drivers were time savings, productivity increases, improvements in patient’s health and patient management, National Health System costs reduction, and reciprocity relative to patients’ willingness to engage in teleconsultations.

Conclusions

To promote the use of home teleconsultations for DM, decision makers should improve patients’ health literacy so the physician–patient communication is more effective; explore information and communication technology developments to reduce current limitations of non–face-to-face examinations; ensure patient privacy and data confidentiality; and demonstrate the capabilities of home teleconsultations to physicians.

Importance of diabetes management during the COVID-19 pandemic

Uncontrolled diabetes and/or hyperglycemia is associated with severe COVID-19 disease and increased mortality. It is now known that poor glucose control before hospital admission can be associated with a high risk of in-hospital death. By achieving and maintaining glycemic control, primary care physicians (PCPs) play a critical role in limiting this potentially devastating outcome. Further, despite the hope that mass vaccination will help control the pandemic, genetic variants of the virus are causing surges in some countries. As such, PCPs will treat an increasing number of patients with diabetes who have symptoms of post-COVID-19 infection, or even have new-onset type 2 diabetes as a result of COVID-19 infection. However, much of the literature published focuses on the effects of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients, with few publications providing information and advice to those caring for people with diabetes in the primary care setting. This manuscript reviews the current knowledge of the risk and outcomes of individuals with diabetes who are infected with COVID-19 and provides information for PCPs on the importance of glucose control, appropriate treatment, and use of telemedicine and online prescription delivery systems to limit the potentially devastating effects of COVID-19 in people with hyperglycemia.

The experience of patients with diabetes with the use of telemedicine and teleassistance services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: Factors associated with perceived quality and willingness to continue

AIM

The purpose of this study is to investigate the individual and contextual determinants of the perceived quality (PQ) of the telemedicine and teleassistance (TMTA) services and the willingness to continue (WC) with them among patients with diabetes using TMTA services during the COVID-19 pandemic in one large region of Italy.

METHODS

A structured survey was administered to patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes who used TMTA during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire contained questions on TMTA service experience and participants' socio-demographic characteristics. Multiple regression models investigated the independent factors associated with PQ and WC.

RESULTS

The final analysis included 569 patients with diabetes (54.7% female), with an average age of 58.1 years. TMTA services' PQ and WC were high. A higher education and being unemployed were factors associated with an increased WC. Older age was negatively related to PQ. Perceived support from TMTA service was positively associated with PQ and WC. Perceived increase in disease self-management was positively associated with PQ and WC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified several determinants of PQ and WC. These socio-demographic and TMTA-related factors should be considered in the implementation of care pathways integrating in-person visits with TMTA.

The Challenge of Sustainable Access to Telemonitoring Tools for People with Diabetes in Europe: Lessons from COVID-19 and Beyond

Telemedicine in diabetes care has been evolving over several years, particularly since the advent of cloud-connected technologies for diabetes management, such as glucose monitoring devices, including continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, that facilitate sharing of glucose data between people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals in near-real time. Extreme social distancing and shielding in place for vulnerable patients during the COVID-19 pandemic has created both the challenge and the opportunity to provide care at a distance on a large scale. Available evidence suggests that glucose control has in fact improved during this period for people with diabetes who are able to use CGM devices for remote glucose monitoring. The development of telemedicine as part of the standard of care in diabetes faces significant challenges in the European context, particularly in terms of providing consistent and effective care at a distance to large populations of patients while using robust systems that can be supported by large regional and national healthcare services. These challenges include a fragmented approach to healthcare technology assessment and reimbursement, lack of eHealth education and literacy, particularly amongst healthcare professionals, lack of data integration, as well as concerns about electronic health records, patient consent and privacy. Here we review the benefits of and challenges to wider application of telemedicine and telemonitoring in the post-pandemic future, with the aim to ensure that the value of these eHealth services is provided to patients, healthcare providers and health systems.

[Telemedicine satisfaction of primary care patients during COVID-19 pandemics]

Objetivo

Evaluar el grado de satisfacción de los pacientes con la telemedicina durante la pandemia de la COVID-19 en la Unidad de Salud Familiar Vitrius. Este trabajo podría obtener información sobre la aceptación de la teleconsulta (TC).

Material y métodos

Estudio transversal con 253 individuos. Se realizó un cuestionario mediante escala Likert (entre 1-nada satisfecho a 5-totalmente satisfecho) en pacientes con diabetes, hipertensión y en sujetos con otras patologías, entre el primero de abril del 2020 y el primero de mayo de ese mismo año. Se recopilaron datos sociodemográficos, citas previas de telemedicina, niveles de satisfacción con la TC y de aclaración de dudas e interés en un mayor seguimiento de telemedicina. Además, se realizó un análisis comparativo entre los períodos de enero-febrero y abril-mayo de 2020 en relación con la edad, el sexo, la hipertensión arterial (HTA), la diabetes mellitus (DM) y el tipo de contacto (presencial o telemático). Las estadísticas se realizaron con el SPSS® y Excel®.

Resultados y discusión

Las consultas de seguimiento de diabetes representaron el 34,4% del total. Mayoritariamente hubo un alto nivel de satisfacción e interés en el seguimiento futuro con telemedicina. Sin embargo, los individuos diabéticos y mayores estaban menos interesados en este tipo de seguimiento. Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en satisfacción para la edad, sexo y presencia/ausencia de diabetes. El 70,6% de los pacientes sanos prefirió el contacto por correo electrónico al teléfono. Ha sido analizado el número de consultas entre enero-febrero y abril-mayo de 2020 donde se destaca: una reducción significativa del número de consultas presenciales por diabetes (-50,1%) y por hipertensión (-94,1%). Las consultas presenciales por cualquier razón disminuyeron un 72,6% y las no presenciales aumentaron un 61,9%. Existe un sesgo de selección porque la muestra no fue aleatoria. La mayor prevalencia de consultas de diabetes y la falta de ajuste por factores de confusión también pueden afectar los resultados.

Conclusiones

Este estudio permitió confirmar la importancia de la telemedicina en atención primaria, sobre todo durante la pandemia. En general, los participantes se quedaron satisfechos con la telemedicina y reconocieron su utilidad en el acceso a los cuidados de salud.

Improving primary care in Europe beyond COVID-19: from telemedicine to organizational reforms

The COVID-19 pandemic has put under pressure all the health national systems in Europe and telemedicine (TM) has been an almost unavoidable answer for primary care (PC) services to constrain the contagion. PC includes all the healthcare services that are the first level of contact for individuals. General practitioners (GPs) are the pivotal providers of PC throughout Europe. Although GP costs are mainly covered by public services or social insurances in Europe, they are still self-employed physicians everywhere, differently from their colleagues in hospitals who are traditionally employees. TM is a very general term open to various interpretations and definitions. TM can now be practiced by means of modern audio-visual devices and is an alternative to the traditional face-to-face consultation in general practice. Although the adoption of TM seems to be compelling in our era, its practical dissemination in PC has been quite slow so far, and many different concerns have been raised on it. On the whole, TM widespread adoption in PC seems to be more a matter of labor organization and health care funding than of technology and ethics. Larger-scale organizations comprising a wide range of health professionals have become a pressing priority for a modern PC, because working together is crucial to provide high-quality care to patients, and co-location should boost teamwork and facilitate the management of information technology. A national network of large organizations in PC could be rationally managed through local budgets and should increase efficiency by adopting tools such as TM.

Patient Preference and Satisfaction with the Use of Telemedicine for Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Review

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine has the potential to improve patient care and management for various chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. To ensure the success of any telemedicine program, there is a need to understand the patients' satisfaction and their preferences. This review aims to collate and provide evidence related to practices that may influence the performance of telemedicine for patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We searched three electronic databases for studies examining patients' satisfaction and preferences for using telemedicine in type 2 diabetes. An evaluation matrix was developed to collect the data from the included articles. A total of 20 articles were identified and data on the key outcomes identified were narratively synthesized.

RESULTS

Patients were generally satisfied with the use of telemedicine for management of type 2 diabetes. Users reported that telemedicine was beneficial as it provided constant monitoring, improved access to healthcare providers, and reduced waiting time. When adopting a telemedicine platform, most patients expressed preference for mobile health (mHealth) as the telemedicine modality, especially if it has been endorsed by their physician. To improve usability and sustainability, patients suggested that modules related to diabetes education be enhanced, together with sufficient technical and physician support when adopting telemedicine. Patients also expressed the importance of having a sufficiently flexible platform that could be adapted to their needs.

CONCLUSION

Personalized telemedicine strategies coupled with appropriate physician endorsement greatly influences a patient's decision to undertake telemedicine. Future work should focus on improving telemedicine infrastructure and increasing physician's involvement, especially during the implementation phase.