How Telemedicine Is Shaping Effective Diabetes Management

One of the outcomes that many medical care providers aim for when providing telemedicine is better management of chronic conditions such as diabetes. Telemedicine helps make better medical care management possible by utilizing connected devices that are in common use.

How Telemedicine Benefits Diabetics

Among the many types of data that telemedicine providers can collect include A1C levels, glucose levels and dietary intake as well as foot wound images. One of the advantages of collecting images of foot wounds is that telemedicine providers can transmit the images to other members of the health care team, including specialists, through electronics. These benefits can improve the quality of a patient’s diabetic care and prevent complications due to poorly controlled diabetes.[1]

Improving Diabetes Outcomes

A 2015 VA study focused on telemedicine provided good news for diabetics who had difficulty managing their diabetes. This same study also included those who received psychiatric treatment for depression symptoms, which can affect the level of self-care. The veterans that were part of this study and received care through telemedicine had lower average blood sugar levels.[2] Professionals involved in telemedicine have hope that similar usage will ultimately lead to better control.

Serving Rural Patients

Another use for telemedicine is in serving patients who live in rural areas without easy access to health care. A 2013-2016 study in a rural North Carolina location focused on stabilization, self-management and giving patients the chance to access two types of professionals at once, such as a prescriber and a dietician. Patients experienced better A1C levels and weight management within the program’s first year.[3] An outcome that many health providers look for as a result of such programs is reducing the numbers of patients with uncontrolled diabetes due to less frequent doctor visits.

Telemedicine’s Place in the Future

Telemedicine has proven helpful in providing better care for patients in populations less likely to receive regular checkups, such as rural patients. Because diabetes is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States,[4] telemedicine is an intervention that can make a measurable difference. Telemedicine schools can help those in the medical field, including dermatology, apply what they have learned and also make them aware of the telehealth emergency laws that exist.

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References:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769943/

[2] https://www.research.va.gov/currents/1215-3.cfm

[3] http://www.pharmacytimes.com/resource-centers/diabetes/telemedicine-a-potential-solution-for-patients-with-diabetes-in-rural-areas

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208251/