The evaluation of diabetic patients' use of a telehealth program

Ting Ting Lee*, Tzu Yi Huang, Chi Ping Chang, Kuan Chia Lin, Hsiu Mei Tu, Ching Jih Fan, Mary Etta Mills

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that, if not treated promptly and appropriately, can cause complex health complications and mortality. Care models that apply technology, such as telehealth, may be useful in working with diabetes patients. The development and application of wireless communication telehealth have significantly affected healthcare in recent years. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate diabetic patients' use of a telehealth program by using questionnaire survey and laboratory data results. A quantitative study, 1-group pretestposttest design, was conducted. This study recruited 20 diabetic patients who received telehealth service to measure their glucose, heart rate, and blood pressure, with data uploaded back to the hospital daily. A questionnaire survey was conducted in May 2012 and between August and January 2013 with 20 participants. The test values (blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose) of subjects were obtained from the hospital telecare platform and the outpatient monthly reporting system. Study findings showed an overall satisfaction rating of 91 % by telehealth participants. Nonparametric statistical analysis demonstrated a significant difference (P<.01) in participants' glycosylated hemoglobin and resultant effective control. These findings indicated that participants accepted this care model, and telehealth could improve participants' glucose control.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)569-577
Number of pages9
JournalCIN - Computers Informatics Nursing
Volume32
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health.

Keywords

  • Diabetes
  • Questionnaire survey
  • Satisfaction
  • Telehealth

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