Aug. 15, 2007 | A pilot program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to improve diabetes education in rural areas has been recognized for excellence in telemedicine.

“Improving Self-Management of Diabetes: Telemedicine Pilot Results in Rural Arkansas” [see a link to a PDF of the poster on the right side of the page] received the Scientific Poster Award at the 12th Annual International Meeting of the American Telemedicine Association held May 13-15 in Nashville, Tenn. More than 2,000 people attended the conference.

Julie Hall-Barrow, director of education for the UAMS Center for Distance Health, leads the diabetes telemedicine education program and coordinates the telemedicine efforts of the UAMS Department of Pediatrics. She also is an instructor in the UAMS College of Public Health.

Appathurai Balamurugan, M.D., is co-principle investigator for the project. Balamurugan is assistant professor in the UAMS College of Public Health and section chief of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at the Arkansas Department of Health.

“One of the most important aspects of diabetes care is patient self-management education,” Hall-Barrow said. “Through the use of telemedicine, we can make a significant impact on the health of rural Arkansans without ready access to dietitians or certified diabetic educators.”

The pilot program, which was conducted in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Health, allowed a certified diabetes educator, a dietitian and a registered nurse to conduct education and individual assessments for 38 participants through six interactive video sessions. The program followed the American Diabetes Association’s curriculum for diabetes education.

“At the beginning of the program, only 39 percent of participants claimed to have the knowledge to manage their diabetes. At the conclusion, that number had increased to 83 percent,” Hall-Barrow said.

In addition, only 5 percent of participants reported feelings of helplessness in diabetes management following the program, while 48 percent reported these feelings prior to participation.

More participants began daily glucose monitoring and A1c checks as a result of the program. A1c checks are used to determine a person’s average blood glucose for the past two to three months.

Clinical measures including triglycerides and glycosylated hemoglobin also were improved.

Nearly 235,000 Arkansans have diabetes, following an increase in prevalence of 35 percent from 1993-2002.