Results from an American study of more than 2,200 people with Type 1 diabetes and their caregivers, showed a majority of those who opted for telehealth care found remote consultations just as effective as face-to-face contact, or even better.
Although video consultations were available before the COVID-19 pandemic, few people with diabetes had ever been offered them and no-one had investigated what patients thought about their efficacy.
The study by researchers from the University of California Davis which took place between August and October 2020, was published in the journal Endocrines and reported by T1D Exchange. It found more than six out of ten people surveyed had opted for remote consultations during the pandemic.
Of those, 85% said it had saved them time, 44% said it reduced stress and 29% said it saved money. However only 17% said they preferred video appointments overall, with a similar number saying they didn’t like them and 65% saying they would only use them in some circumstances.
The researchers concluded that while telehealth can be effective, it is not for everyone and individual needs and preferences should be considered as the technology evolves.
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