The outcomes and influencing factors of telecare managing patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective

This review aimed to examine the outcomes and influencing factors of telecare management of type 2 diabetes, to provide some advice for medical staff and to inform decision makers to promote the development of telecare in specific areas.

Sources of information

The reference articles were mainly selected from the CNKI, Wanfang Database, PubMed, Science Direct and other resources. Following a systematic, comprehensive search of databases, a total of 1062 qualitative, quantitative or mixed studies were initially selected; after careful review and screening, 45 studies were coded and analysed.

Inclusion criteria

The articles were selected using the words “diabetic”, “type 2 diabetes”, “telecare, telenursing, remote care or telemedicine”, “outcomes or effect” and “influencing factors”. Type 2 diabetic who were intervened by electronic equipment are included. The patients who just have type1 diabetes are excluded, and those who were treated without using electronic equipment also are excluded.

Results

Telecare produces positive results with a variety of outcomes, such as an improvement in the overall status of patients with type 2 diabetes, making full use of the medical staff resources and promoting the popularity of the hospital remotely; however, the factors which may prevent the development of telecare are various.

Conclusions

Telecare has a positive effect in all aspects. With the development of technology and gradual changes in the people's concept of e-health, telecare may have a brilliant future and may play a more important role in promoting human health.