Outpatient Clinic Visits Using Telemedicine - For Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Treated With Insulin Pumps (Preprint)
UNSTRUCTURED Aim: We aim to investigate three different aspects of conducting an outpatient clinic visit remotely using telemedicine. The areas investigated will be: Diabetes regulation, patient and healthcare professionals perspective on video consultation , and economic evaluation. Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has doubled over the last three decades. A meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials including a total of 600 people treated in period of 2,5 – 24 months the authors concluded that insulin pump treatment lead to significantly better glycemia control, measured by Hba1c. Studies suggest that centres with a large volume of insulin pump patients have a lower complication rate and achieve better metabolic control (lower HbA1c levels) than smaller centres. Accordingly, patients will have larger distance to their centre, more traveling time, and more inconvenience. Hence some patients may not even want to start insulin pump treatment due to distance or may not even get the offer by the HCP even if the indications are present. The Longer travel times might lead some patients to opt out of an insulin pump treatment, or make patients wait longer before contacting staff in case of technical problems or medical issues. A solution to overcome distances to centre and make the healthcare service provide even better could be by use of telemedicine. Telemedicine was defined in 1997 by the World Health Organization. Since then the world has experienced a new digital revolution Study design: A randomised controlled trial will be conducted, including DM1 patients treated with insulin pump. Inclusion criteria: Adult patients, diagnosed with DM1 and use of insulin pump for at least 6 months. Exclusion criteria: No internet access or unable to adhere to protocol. Unable to speak or read Danish. Impact: The study will not only provide solid evidence for implementation of telemedicine in the outpatient clinic regarding DM patients living with an Insulin pump, but hopefully also set a standard for future projects aiming to implement telemedicine in daily clinical practice. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04612933