Effectiveness of telemedicine among patients with diabetes in family practice: A meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Background@#Diabetes mellitus is one of the most commonly encountered diseases in primary care. The complications of diabetes, especially uncontrolled diabetes, are extensive. Given the broad and devastating complications of diabetes, achieving optimal glycemic control is paramount. The onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a recent and rapid increase in the utilization of telemedicine, especially in primary care. Due to the significant complications of uncontrolled diabetes, it is crucial to determine if this change in the manner of delivering healthcare is effective for our patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes.@*Objective@#This study aimed to systematically review and analyze existing data using meta- analysis on the effectiveness of using telemedicine as a platform for managing patients with diabetes in family practice.@*Methods@#The researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared telemedicine versus standard care for the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with HbA1c as the primary outcome.@*Results@#All 11 studies that were included in this study reported a mean difference in favor of telemedicine over standard care, with HbA1c significantly lower in the telemedicine group as compared to standard care in 91% of the studies. The overall effect of the 11 studies is a decrease in HbA1c by a pooled mean of -0.63% with a 95% CI between -0.78% to -0.48% (p<0.00001).@*Conclusion@#The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that various forms of telemedicine and telemedicine-assisted programs are effective in the management of adult patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus as compared to standard face-to-face outpatient visits.