Facilitating Diabetes Management Using Telemedicine: The Role of Social Support

Abstract

Physicians and other health care providers (HCPs)1 recognize that effective diabetes management requires close attention to patient lifestyles (Brashers, Neidig, & Goldsmith, 2004; Street et al., 1993; van Dam, 2003). To help HCPs more closely monitor patient health, researchers developed the MyCareTeam® system. MyCareTeam® is a web-based diabetes management application that allows patients to upload their blood glucose readings to their physician, access information about diabetes, and interact with their provider via secure email. Web-based systems are one form of telemedicine being used to support the care and treatment of diabetes (Azar & Gabbay, 2009). MyCareTeam® is a subscription program for HCPs and not available to the public on an individual patient basis. The data and narrative evidence presented in this case study are drawn from research involving 109 Native Americans with poorly controlled diabetes.2 A total of 945 personal messages sent by nurses and physicians to their Native American patients participating in this investigation were content analyzed and found to contain messages of social support (Robinson, Turner, Levine, & Tian, 2011). In addition to identifying the nine types of messages sent by HCPs, this case study examines the efficacy of web-based health monitoring systems, the impact of email on patient usage of the MyCareTeam® system, and the impact of email on patient health behaviors. Through the recounted experiences of patients and a HCP, Donna,3 insight into web-based health monitoring and the benefits of email interaction may be gained.