Telehealth interventions to reduce management complications in type 1 diabetes: A review

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic illness with a high burden of care. While effective interventions and recommendations for diabetes care exist, the intensive nature of diabetes management makes compliance difficult. This is especially true in children and adolescents as they have unique psychosocial and diabetes needs. Despite the development of effective in-person interventions targeting improving self-management and ameliorating psychosocial difficulties there are still a number of barriers to implementing these interventions, namely time, cost, and access. Telehealth interventions allow for the dissemination of these interventions to a broader audience. Self-management and psychosocial telehealth interventions are reviewed with a special emphasis on mobile phone and internet based technology use. While efficacy has been demonstrated in a number of telehealth interventions with improved cost effectiveness over in-person interventions, many challenges remain including high participant attrition and difficulties with receiving reimbursement for services rendered. These and other challenges are discussed with recommendations for researchers and telehealth providers provided.

Keywords: Telehealth, Disease management, E-health interventions, Type 1 diabetes management, Type 1 diabetes

Core tip: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic illness with a high burden of care. Despite the development of effective in-person interventions, telehealth interventions are necessary to improve access to and engagement in interventions to improve diabetes management. Mobile phone and internet based interventions appear to have the most potential to enact change. Challenges and recommendations for these telehealth interventions are provided.