Innovative telehealth project boosts diabetes self-management education
Calls for healthcare systems to prioritise accessible care for type 2 diabetes patients
A project was conducted at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Center for Telehealth, with the aim of implementing evidence-based practices for delivering diabetes self-management education through telehealth and remote patient monitoring. The project serves as an encouragement for other health systems to develop similar programs that enhance access to diabetes self-management education through telehealth capabilities.
Type 2 diabetes poses a global concern due to its increasing prevalence and the associated risk of complications. Improving glycemic control is crucial in reducing these risks, and diabetes self-management education plays a critical role in regulating glucose levels. However, certain patient populations face barriers in accessing this education. Telehealth presents an innovative solution to overcome geographical and socioeconomic obstacles to diabetes self-management education.
The project team successfully developed and implemented a sustainable plan for providing personalised diabetes self-management education through telehealth. The project achieved its objectives by promoting evidence-based practices for education delivery via telehealth and remote patient monitoring, resulting in measurable improvements in adherence to best practices. The primary focus was on tailoring education to each patient's specific needs, as determined through a baseline knowledge assessment.
While the post-implementation audit revealed improved adherence to best practices, the relatively low number of adult patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the telehealth program within seven weeks raised concerns that some patients who could benefit from this service might not be receiving referrals.
The project identified the need for policy or procedural developments to ensure appropriate patients are offered telehealth as an option for monitoring their condition and accessing diabetes self-management education. Implementing a Best Practice Advisory would increase healthcare providers' awareness among providers about the availability of this innovative option for overcoming geographic and socioeconomic barriers and ensure appropriate referrals to the program.
Read about the evidence implementation project in the June 2023 issue of the quarterly journal, JBI Evidence Implementation.
Longwitz, Ashley; Palokas, Michelle
JBI Evidence Implementation 21(2):p 156-166, June 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/XEB.0000000000000360