Evaluation of a care coordination/home-telehealth program for veterans with diabetes: health services utilization and health-related quality of life.
We evaluated a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care coordination/ home-telehealth (CC/HT) program on the utilization of health care services and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in veterans with diabetes. Administrative records of 445 veterans with diabetes were reviewed to compare health care service utilization in the 1-year period before and 1-year period post-enrollment and also examined self-reported HRQL at enrollment and 1 year later. Multivariate analyses indicated a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients who were hospitalized (50% reduction), emergency room use (11% reduction), reduction in the average number of bed days of care (decreased an average of 3.0 days), and improvement in the HRQL role-physical functioning, bodily pain, and social functioning. The results need to be interpreted with caution because we used a single-group study design that may be influenced by regression to the mean. Ideally, future research should use a randomized controlled trial design.
Chumbler
Neale R
NR
Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development/Rehabilitation Research and Development, Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center, & Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Stroke QUERI, North Florida. Neale.Chumbler@med.va.gov
Neugaard
Britta
B
Kobb
Rita
R
Ryan
Patricia
P
Qin
Haijing
H
Joo
Yongsung
Y
D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006304:Health Status; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011647:Puerto Rico; D011788:Quality of Life; D017216:Telemedicine; D014728:Veterans