Impact of Telemedicine System Automatic Reminder on Outcomes in Women with Gestational Glycosuria

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Telemedicine is part of the health care information system that helps collect and share data efficiently. Healthcare information processing includes data storage, analysis, retrieval, data sharing for knowledge and communication purposes, and decision-making through the obtained data. Health information technology characterizes computer and communication features that can be webbed to build a system for dynamic health data. In this study, we are trying to determine the effect of the telemedicine system on gestational diabetic patients.

Objective: The objective of this research is to identify the telemedicine system effect on gestational diabetic patients.

Method: An internet-based telemedicine and interactive voice response telephone-communication system was used to contact patients and doctors. At the same time, a total of eighty patients with gestational diabetes mellitus were randomly divided among the two groups, which amounted to forty patients each. One group was given a telemedicine system while another group was treated with the general medical treatment (control group) and requested to monitor their blood glucose level four times per day. Women in the telemedicine group have transited the information with the help of the internet while the other group submitted their report manually using the paper logbook entry method. Data collection includes maternal glucose control, new-born birth weight, and the data transmission of the intervention group.

Result: There was no substantial variation between the telemedicine and control group patients regarding the maternal blood glucose value and the new-born birth weight. Telephone access and the reminder system enhance the transmission rate in the telemedicine group than the control group (p<0.001).

Discussion: Though the telemedicine group had no significant impact on the gestational patients' blood glucose levels, telemedicine has been shown to improve healthcare efficiency. For example, by controlling the site, insurance, pre-pregnancy BMI, and group assignments, the site difference effects are reduced, allowing patients to receive better care.

Conclusion: Newly developed telemedicine is a breakthrough for the medical field. It helps doctors keep updated by efficiently collecting data and allows patients to perform routine self-management for their data submission, which also helps them get better treatment. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(3): 276-280]

Keywords: Telemedicine; Gestational Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes; IVR; Computer; Glycosuria