title: Parental evaluation of a telemonitoring service for children with Type 1 Diabetes.
abstract: Introduction In the past years, we developed a telemonitoring service for young patients affected by Type 1 Diabetes. The service provides data to the clinical staff and offers an important tool to the parents, that are able to oversee in real time their children. The aim of this work was to analyze the parents' perceived usefulness of the service. Methods The service was tested by the parents of 31 children enrolled in a seven-day clinical trial during a summer camp. To study the parents' perception we proposed and analyzed two questionnaires. A baseline questionnaire focused on the daily management and implications of their children's diabetes, while a post-study one measured the perceived benefits of telemonitoring. Questionnaires also included free text comment spaces. Results Analysis of the baseline questionnaires underlined the parents' suffering and fatigue: 51% of total responses showed a negative tendency and the mean value of the perceived quality of life was 64.13 in a 0-100 scale. In the post-study questionnaires about half of the parents believed in a possible improvement adopting telemonitoring. Moreover, the foreseen improvement in quality of life was significant, increasing from 64.13 to 78.39 ( p-value = 0.0001). The analysis of free text comments highlighted an improvement in mood, and parents' commitment was also proved by their willingness to pay for the service (median = 200 euro/year). Discussion A high number of parents appreciated the telemonitoring service and were confident that it could improve communication with physicians as well as the family's own peace of mind.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Losiouk
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzola
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Favero
authors.affiliation: 3 Unit of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boscari
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messori
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Pediatrics, University of Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rabbone
authors.affiliation: 6 Pediatric Department and Diabetes Research Institute, Scientific Institute, Hospital San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonfanti
authors.affiliation: 7 Regional Center for Pediatric Diabetes, Clinical Nutrition & Obesity, Department of Life & Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabbion
authors.affiliation: 8 Department of Pediatrics, Second University of Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iafusco
authors.affiliation: 9 Unit of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Bambino Gesu', Children's Hospital, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schiaffini
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Visentin
authors.affiliation: 3 Unit of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galasso
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Palma
authors.affiliation: 10 Center for Diabetes Technology, University of Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chernavvsky
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magni
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cobelli
authors.affiliation: 3 Unit of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruttomesso
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quaglini
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Home telecare; ehealth; self care; telemedicine; telemetry