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Telemedicine Visit Use and Glycemic Control in Patients With Diabetes
Emilia G Thurber1,2, Zhou Lan1,2, Alexander Turchin1,2
1Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Higher rates of phone visits, not video, were linked to poorer diabetes control, especially in patients with higher baseline HbA1c. This highlights potential disparities in telemedicine effectiveness for managing diabetes.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Diabetes Management
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Telemedicine use surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Impacts of telemedicine on diabetes patient outcomes remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between telemedicine use patterns and glycemic control in diabetes patients.
- To differentiate the effects of video versus phone consultations.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 8,867 adult diabetes patients.
- Analyzed telemedicine visit proportions (video, phone) in 2021.
- Assessed changes in HbA1c from 2020 to 2022.
Main Results:
- Overall HbA1c decreased by 0.17% between 2020 and 2022.
- Higher proportions of phone visits correlated with smaller HbA1c reductions (p=0.009).
- This association was significant for patients with baseline HbA1c ≥8.0% (p=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Increased phone visit use, unlike video, was linked to poorer glycemic control, particularly in patients with higher baseline HbA1c.
- Further research is needed to understand underlying causes and address the digital divide in healthcare.
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