title: Telemedicine consultation for patients with diabetes mellitus: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: Introduction There is a widening discrepancy between the increasing number of patients with diabetes mellitus and the health care resources available to manage these patients. Telemedicine has been used in a number of instances to improve and deliver health care where traditional care delivery methods may encounter difficulty. We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial of telemedicine consultation to manage patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods Eleven primary care centres attached to one Veteran Administration tertiary care centre were randomised to provide patients with diabetes consultation referral either by usual consultation in diabetes clinic or telemedicine consultations via videoconference. Results Altogether, 199 patients were managed by telemedicine consultation and 83 by usual consultation. Patients in both groups showed a small decrease in haemoglobin A1c, with no statistical difference between the groups (telemedicine consultation -1.01% vs usual consultation -0.68%, p = 0.19). Surveys of patients and semi-structured interviews with primary care providers showed better response and satisfaction with telemedicine consultations. Discussion This study shows similar clinical outcomes as measured by glycaemic control for patients with diabetes mellitus having a specialist consultation using real-time telemedicine consultation as compared to in-clinic consultation. Telemedicine consultation was also associated with better patient and primary care provider satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, USA.|2 Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, USA.|3 Interprofessional Implementation Research Education and Evaluation Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, USA.|4 Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Julie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: 3 Interprofessional Implementation Research Education and Evaluation Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirth
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, USA.|2 Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, USA.|3 Interprofessional Implementation Research Education and Evaluation Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Aron
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D019114:Remote Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
keywords: Diabetes; qualitative analysis; telemedicine