Intensive telehealth management of five at-risk adolescents with diabetes

Abstract

Five adolescents with diabetes participated in an intensive outpatient treatment programme designed to improve adherence to their regimen and improve metabolic control. Families reported blood sugar levels, injections and food intake daily by telephone. After four weeks they were offered a video-phone. Nine subjects were recruited but four of them dropped out. Of the remaining five, one subject used a video-phone and one subject reported blood sugar results by email. Most of the children improved their metabolic control and all five subjects showed reduced HbA_1c levels during the three months of the study. The use of telehealth facilitated the treatment of adolescents with poor glycaemic control.