title: Introducing a telemonitoring platform for diabetic patients in primary care: will it increase the socio-digital divide?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates whether diabetes patients visiting a primary care setting are interested in using a telemonitoring platform and if so, whether characteristics of interested users could be distinguished.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three questionnaires were administered by 92 diabetes persons recruited between May and September 2011. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were performed. Special attention was drawn to include patients with low educational levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with middle or high educational levels show quite some interest in the use of a telemonitoring platform, especially for the transmission of glycaemic data or for asking questions. Patients with low educational levels only show a minor interest in using such a platform.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possibly worthwhile to implement a telemonitoring platform in a primary care setting; however this study did not show immediate profit for implementation in a CHC that organises diabetes clinics on regular basis. In primary care settings where it will be implemented, even if there is a social-digital divide today, the use of a telemonitoring platform could possibly reduce inequity in health care as time could become available for those most in need for face-to-face contact with their physician.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Heidi.Buysse@UGent.be
authors.forename: Heidi E C
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Buysse
authors.forename: Georges J E
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: de Moor
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Maeseneer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D001530:Belgium; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine; D055815:Young Adult