Longwoods Blog
Vol. 8 No. 13, June 22, 2011
Fact and Stats
The use of mobile phones and the availability of Internet access in remote areas could help low-income individuals in underdeveloped locations manage diabetes and other chronic conditions, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study – run by the Veterans Administration and the University of Michigan, School of Medicine – enrolled 85 patients with diabetes who received treatment from a clinic in low-income, underdeveloped areas of Honduras. The average patient had less than five years of formal education and had an annual income of about $2,500. Each participant received automated, interactive phone calls generated by a University of Michigan server every week for six weeks after completing an in-person interview to determine glycemic and blood pressure measurements. The server also sent follow-up emails to clinicians and featured an option for family members to receive voicemail reports on how the patient was doing. In addition, the voicemail reports offered suggestions on how family members could support the individual.
Ninety-eight percent of participants said the program helped them better manage their disease, and 92% said they would use the service again if it were available.
About 53% of participants completed at least half of the interactive calls, and nearly one in four completed 80% or more of the calls. Patients with highest blood pressures at the start of the study and those who lived farthest away from the clinic were more likely to complete their calls, the study found.
Researchers also found that 56% of participants had improved glycemic control and that 89% had improved foot care.
Source: A Preliminary Study of a Cloud-Computing Model for Chronic Illness Self-Care Support in an Underdeveloped Country
Date: June, 2011
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Canadian Market Research
Access up-to-date market intelligence on the Canadian healthcare IT landscape based on data from the HIMSS Analytics Canadian DatabaseSM. Research that can help healthcare IT vendors and consultants expand into the Canadian market and become more competitive in the space. ITAC members receive a 15% discount. For more information click here.
Infoway Update
Find Out What’s New and Happening at Canada Health Infoway
Worth Noting
Doctors 2.0™ & You (Paris, France)
13th Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIME’11)
CompTIA Tech Summit and Breakaway
Health Informatics Scotland Conference 2011
83rd AHIMA Convention & Exhibit
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 at 2:00 am and is filed under Longwoods Online.