Abstract
Purpose/Objectives: To describe and assess the effectiveness of a case management and home telemonitoring program for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM)
Primary Practice Setting: Case managers work in a mid-sized medical center for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Patients are veterans who participate in a home telemonitoring and case management program designed to assist with long-term control of serum glucose levels.
Findings/Conclusions: The home telemonitoring/case management program process is shown to be effective in helping patients with long-term control of glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C). When compared with a control group, program participants showed significantly differentiated long-term improvement in A1C levels.
Implications for Case Management Practice:
* Home telemonitoring and aggressive case management together are effective in helping patients with diabetes self-care.
* Case management practices for patients with diabetes should include a strong educational component, continuing throughout the process, that addresses lifestyle and dietary changes.
* Home telemonitoring may serve as a patient "demand" indicator and workload regulator for case managers.
* Case management and home telemonitoring have long-term effects in diabetes self-care even after active case management and home telemonitoring come to an end.