Telemedical care reduces hypoglycemias and improves glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Diabetes Technol Ther. 2000 Winter;2(4):561-7. doi: 10.1089/15209150050501970.

Abstract

Education programs for intensive insulin therapy were found to be valuable in improving glycemic control, but, due to low prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents, access to those programs varies considerably in rural areas. We report on a telemedical care program that overcomes geographical isolation of patients on intensive insulin therapy. Sixty-one children and adolescents under the age of 26 participated in a telemedical care program. They stored daily information on blood glucose, injected insulin, meals and exercise in a glucosemeter with electronic memory and transferred the data via modem go a remote diabetes center outside of the region. By individual telephone consultations from home, they reviewed the data with a diabetologist at the diabetes center and adjusted their intensive insulin therapy in order to achieve predefined treatment goals. Patients were trained for 19 (6-48) weeks in the program and measured blood glucose 4.9 (1.7-4.9) times daily. Compared to the run-in-period, mean blood glucose had decreased (167 to 158 mg/dL, p < 0.01), standard deviation of blood glucose had decreased (81 to 70 mg/dL, p < 0.001), and frequency of hypoglycemia had decreased (5.2 to 3.3 in 4 weeks, p = 0.01) at the end of the program. The proportion of blood glucose values within the target range (80-180 mg/dL) had increased (47-55%, p < 0.001). HbAlc was reduced by 0.4% (-3.8 to +2.2%, p < 0.05). Telemedical care for intensive insulin therapy is safe, can improve glycemic control, and reduce the number of hypoglycemias in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Blood Glucose / analysis*
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring*
  • Caregivers / education
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Counseling
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / blood*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / rehabilitation*
  • Family Practice
  • Female
  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Insulin / administration & dosage
  • Insulin / therapeutic use*
  • Internal Medicine
  • Male
  • Patient Education as Topic / methods*
  • Patient Selection
  • Rural Population
  • Self Care
  • Telemedicine / methods*
  • Telephone
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Insulin