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Telehealth platforms provide cost-effective outreach to patients with diabetes

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NEW ORLEANS – Virtual patient contact through telehealth medicine can empower patients with diabetes to improve their self-care while allowing diabetes educators an opportunity to reach more people with more impact, according to a panel of presenters discussing the future of telemedicine.

“Asynchronous and synchronous telehealth platforms are the future of telehealth and provide increased options for patient engagement, education and the potential to improve diabetes control,” Joan Olveda, RN, CDE, of Sutter Health Diabetes Disease Management Program in Sacramento, CA, told Endocrine Today.

Telehealth comes in several forms, said Nancy Fisher, RN, CDE, of UCLA-EIMG Health Centers. Diabetes educators can reach clients through telephone, email, via a smartphone app or an online portal, speaking live or non-live — even through video games online. The results, Fisher said, can be both cost effective and reach a wider audience than face-to-face appointments. Diabetes educators need to investigate which models of telehealth will best work in their practices.

Nancy Fisher

“The best method for teaching [diabetes self-management]... is the one that your client will use,” Fisher said during the presentation.

Those new to telehealth can start small, Fisher said. Start with follow-up calls to patients to see how they are managing their care at home. Other options include single or group text messages to clients, or telephone group talks in which clients can participate.

“Brainstorm with other educators in your area and among staff and see what you can come up with,” Fisher said. “For the Internet, if you can’t purchase a [telehealth] platform, try Google hangouts or video conferencing. If you have an electronic health record, ask about the patient portal for teaching and education follow-ups.”

A number of factors often prevent diabetes self-care, said Jane Ruppert RDN, LDN, CDE, vice president of Interactive Health Services in Chicago, including time, money, emotional distress and ability. Through telehealth, educators and coaches and personalize a behavioral management plan for each individual in a convenient way, expediting the transmission of data in a cost-efficient manner.

“In a way, I think we’re slightly behind,” Ruppert said during the presentation. “We need to use technology to reach more people in different ways.”

Ruppert cautioned that there are “tricky things” to work out when implementing the technology, particularly regarding privacy.

“You really want to make sure you’re HIPPA compliant,” Ruppert said. “You have to make sure email is secure ... but it can be very effective in the outcomes that you have.” – by Regina Schaffer

Reference:

Fisher, Nancy. W10. Presented at: The American Association of Diabetes Educators Annual Meeting 2015; August 5-8, 2015; New Orleans.

Disclosure: Fisher, Oveda, and Ruppert report no relevant financial disclosures.