A community model for care of elderly people with diabetes via telemedicine

Chan, Wai Man; Woo, Jean; Hui, Elsie; Lau, Winny W.Y.; Lai, Jerry C.K.; Lee, Diana

doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2004.11.002

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Volume 18, Issue 2 , Pages 77-81, May 2005

A community model for care of elderly people with diabetes via telemedicine

Wai Man Chan, RN
- Jockey Club Center for Osteoporosis Care and Control, School of Public Health, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Jean Woo, MD
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China. Fax: +852 2637 3852.
Elsie Hui, MBBS
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Winny W.Y. Lau, BSc
- Jockey Club Center for Osteoporosis Care and Control, School of Public Health, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Jerry C.K. Lai, BSc
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Diana Lee, PhD
- The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Received 25 June 2004; received in revised form 15 August 2004; accepted 18 November 2004.

Abstract

A primary care group diabetes care program using telemedicine was developed and its feasibility and acceptability were tested in 22 subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus using a one-group, pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design. Compliance with the program was 100%. Significant reductions in total calorie intake as well as body mass index were achieved, with an increase in the percentage of subjects achieving better diabetes control as measured by the 2-hr hemastix. Improvements in diabetes knowledge and disease-specific and generic measures of quality of life were also observed. Most subjects evaluated this mode of service delivery favorably in the questionnaire and focus group discussions. There is potential for the integration of this mode of service delivery into current health services.