Community-Based Intelligent Blood Glucose Management for Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Based on the Health Belief Model: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The number of older patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing, and effective self-management is crucial for controlling disease progression and its complications.

Objective: We designed a home telemedicine intervention that combines telemedicine with health education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). This study evaluated its effectiveness on self-management in older patients with T2D.

Methods: Between March and April 2022, we recruited 198 community-dwelling patients with T2D aged 65 years and older. Patients were randomly assigned to either a control group, which received a conventional diabetes management program, or an intervention group, which received a home telemedicine intervention with a health education program based on the HBM. The intervention lasted 6 months. The primary outcome measured was glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c); secondary outcomes included diabetes self-management capacity, self-efficacy, and health beliefs. We collected outcome metrics at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare changes in outcomes.

Results: A total of 96.5% (191/198) of patients completed the study. From baseline to 6 months, HbA1c decreased by mean -0.99% (95% CI -1.60% to -0.60%) in the intervention group and mean -0.42% (95% CI -0.90% to 0.90%) in the control group. The intervention group experienced a significantly greater reduction of 0.42% compared to the control group (95% CI 0.12%-0.73%). Furthermore, compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in diabetes self-management skills (mean 5.88, 95% CI 4.98-6.79), self-efficacy (mean 9.40, 95% CI 8.15-10.66), and health beliefs (mean 19.54, 95% CI 17.71-21.36) at both 3 and 6 months.

Conclusions: Home telemedicine interventions incorporating health education based on the HBM can provide significant benefits for community-dwelling older patients with T2D, potentially offering new avenues for chronic disease prevention and management. However, future large-scale studies are required to further assess their effectiveness and feasibility.