Utilization of Telehealth Technology to Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Management Initiative for Chronic Diseases
Abstract
Chronic diseases affect over 90 million Americans and result in high health care costs and tremendous personal and societal burden. Diabetes is, arguably, among the most pervasive and researched chronic diseases. Research shows that much of the costs and burden of diabetes can be mitigated with appropriate education, care- and self-management. This project, called the Comprehensive Management for Chronic Disease (CMICD), focuses on innovative technology approaches to improving education about and management of diabetes. The CMICD includes: virtual education techniques for training nurses (VNE); an Internetbased medical informatics tool for the management of people with diabetes called the Comprehensive Diabetes Management Program (CDMP) and its associated telehealth eye care program that can remotely evaluate eye disease without need of dilation or a specialist to conduct a live exam; a video cell phone approach to providing patients with daily, personalized reminders and education; and a computer-assisted decision support (CADS) tool that equips primary care providers with the latest clinical guidelines and specialty expertise to support their decision making about diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Components of the CMICD are being developed and evaluated for accuracy and usability as part of this effort (CADS), other components are being deployed and tested in rural PA in collaboration with Mt. Aloysius College (VNE and CDMP/telehealth eye care program), and others are being deployed and tested at Walter Reed Health Care System (Cell Phone). Using a variety of study designs, this project is examining both patient outcomes and providers changes in knowledge as appropriate. Currently the CMICD focuses on the management of diabetes; however, the management approaches within the CMICD are applicable to a variety of other chronic diseases including asthma, depression, and arthritis. This Annual Report presents progress and challenges to date as well as some
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 21, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA612982
Entities
People
- Robert A. Vigersky
Organizations
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine