Telemedicine had no convincing effect on quality of life , mortality or hypoglycemia .
INTERPRETATION : Compared with usual care , the addition of telemedicine , especially systems that allowed medication adjustments with or without text messaging or a Web portal , improved HbA1C but not other clinical ly relevant outcomes among patients with diabetes
BACKGROUND : Telemedicine , the use of telecommunications to deliver health services , expertise and information , is a promising but unproven tool for improving the quality of  diabetes care  .
We summarized the effectiveness of different methods of telemedicine for the management of diabetes compared with usual care .
Web-Based Collaborative Care for Type 2 Diabetes
OBJECTIVE —To test Web-based care management of glycemic control using a shared electronic medical record with patients who have type 2 diabetes . RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —We conducted a trial of 83 adults with type 2 diabetes r and omized to receive usual care plus Web-based care management or usual care alone between August 2002 and May 2004 . All patients had GHb ≥7.0 % , had Web access from home , and could use a computer with English language –based programs . Intervention patients received 12 months of Web-based care management . The Web-based program included patient access to electronic medical records , secure e-mail with providers , feedback on blood glucose readings , an educational Web site , and an interactive online diary for entering information about exercise , diet , and medication . The primary outcome was change in GHb . RESULTS —GHb levels declined by 0.7 % ( 95 % CI 0.2−1.3 ) on average among intervention patients compared with usual-care patients . Systolic blood pressure , diastolic blood pressure , total cholesterol levels , and use of in-person health care services did not differ between the two groups . CONCLUSIONS —Care management delivered through secure patient Web communications improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes
Telemedicine had no convincing effect on quality of life , mortality or hypoglycemia .
INTERPRETATION : Compared with usual care , the addition of telemedicine , especially systems that allowed medication adjustments with or without text messaging or a Web portal , improved HbA1C but not other clinical ly relevant outcomes among patients with diabetes
BACKGROUND : Telemedicine , the use of telecommunications to deliver health services , expertise and information , is a promising but unproven tool for improving the quality of  diabetes care  .
We summarized the effectiveness of different methods of telemedicine for the management of diabetes compared with usual care .