Telehealth as adjunctive therapy in insulin pump treated patients: A pilot study

Abstract

New National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance is likely to increase the use of insulin pump therapy, and the challenge for diabetes teams is to maintain the initial improvement in HbA1c without extra resources. A telehealth system has been developed where both health professionals and patients can view downloaded pump and blood glucose data. A pilot study in patients with HbA1c >8%, using pump therapy for more than a year, demonstrated a mean reduction from 9.3% to 8.2% at 12 months after using the telehealth system. Patient satisfaction with the system reported more understanding, insight and control by viewing the data, as well as easy access to the health professional. This pilot study has demonstrated that, for some people, using a telehealth approach has resulted in improved diabetes control. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.