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 .
A Self-Management Intervention for African Americans With Comorbid Diabetes and Hypertension: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Introduction The objective of this pilot 6-month r and omized controlled trial was to determine the effectiveness of an intensive , community-based , group intervention that focused on diet , physical activity , and peer support for reducing weight among urban-dwelling African Americans with comorbid type 2 diabetes and hypertension . Methods Sixty-one participants were r and omized into an intervention or control group . The 6-month intervention consisted of 18 group sessions led by a dietitian in a community setting and weekly telephone calls from a peer supporter . The intervention featured culturally tailored nutrition education , behavioral skills training , and social support focused on changes to diet and physical activity . The control group consisted of two 3-hour group sessions of diabetes self-management education taught by a community health worker . Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and 6 months . The primary outcome was achievement of a 5 % weight reduction at 6 months . A secondary outcome was achievement of a 0.5 percentage-point reduction in hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c ) . Results Groups did not differ in achievement of the weight-loss goal . Intervention participants  lost a mean of 2.8 kg ( P = .01 ) ; control participants did not lose a significant amount of weight . A greater proportion of intervention ( 50.0 % ) than control ( 21.4 % ) participants reduced HbA1c by 0.5 percentage points or more at 6 months ( P = .03 ) . Conclusion The intervention was more effective than usual care ( short-term diabetes education ) at improving glycemic control , but not weight , in low-income African Americans with comorbid diabetes and hypertension . A community-based 6-month group class with culturally tailored education , behavioral skills training , and peer support can lead to a clinical ly significant reduction in HbA1c
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 .