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 .
Effect of Internet Therapeutic Intervention on A1C Levels in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Insulin
OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of an Internet-based glucose monitoring system ( IBGMS ) on A1C levels in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin .  RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This trial involved 50 patients r and omly assigned to receive either conventional treatment alone or with additional follow-up through an IBGMS for 6 months . Patients r and omized to the intervention group uploaded blood glucose readings every 2 weeks to a secure Web site for review and receipt of feedback from their endocrinologist .  A1C and laboratory test results were collected at 0 , 3 , and 6 months . RESULTS The baseline parameters were not significantly different . Over a 6-month follow-up , A1C dropped from 8.8 to 7.6 % ( P < 0.001 ) in the intervention group compared with 8.5 to 8.4 % ( P = 0.51 ) in the control group . CONCLUSIONS The use of IBGMS significantly improved A1C levels in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin
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 .