The effect of remote patient monitoring on the primary care clinic visit frequency among adults with type 2 diabetes.

aimsHealthcare organizations are increasingly using technology to assist in diabetes management based on telemedicine's proven ability to improve glycemic regulation, decrease cost, and overcome barriers to effective healthcare. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how telemedicine intersects with primary care. We aim to measure the impact of a remote monitoring program for diabetes on primary care delivery through analysis of primary care office visit frequency.

methodsPatients eligible to participate in our institution's remote diabetes monitoring program were identified and classified as enrolled or not enrolled (i.e. "usual care"). The number of scheduled and completed primary care office visits in the 12 months prior to and after the index date were measured for both groups. The index date was the enrollment date or, for the patients who received usual care, the next available enrollment session after eligibility screen. Two-sample t-tests were used to examine the change in frequency of office visits prior to and after enrollment for participants, as well as the difference in visit frequency between enrolled patients versus patients receiving usual care.

resultsThere was no statistical difference in the number of scheduled or completed primary care clinic visits before or after enrollment in telehealth. Furthermore, there was no difference in the number of scheduled or completed primary care visits between patients enrolled in telehealth versus those receiving usual care.

conclusionParticipation in telehealth has been shown to be associated with significant HbA1c reductions in prior work, yet our data suggest that remote monitoring is not associated with a change in primary care office visit frequency. This suggests that telehealth may improve diabetes management independently of primary care visits.