Vedachalam, Vijay
(2021)
Remote-Care Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
This is the latest version of this item.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic poses increased burden on patients managing Type 2 diabetes. The Birmingham Free Clinic introduced new interventions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in efforts to mitigate pandemic burden on patients and to maintain care and diabetic disease management through medication delivery and virtual visitation appointments. Previous research shows diabetic education and lifestyle interventions can help patients with glycemic control in efforts to manage their diabetes. Before the pandemic, the clinic introduced grant-funded interventions focusing on providing glucose and blood pressure monitors as well as a social determinants of health screening during clinic visits.
Of the clinic 300 patient population with Type 2 diabetes, 62 patients were selected for the dataset that had a baseline measurement of HbA1c and controlled blood pressure at 3 months leading up to the pandemic lockdown conditions in March 2020 with follow-up data collected in the 3 months preceding March 2021. Of those 62, 40 patients had complete data to analyze if there was a significant difference in HbA1c in a retrospective analysis. We observed a reduction of 0.39% (SD = 2.53, p-value = 0.1602) in HbA1c, which was not clinically meaningful nor statistically significant in showing an association of HbA1c reduction to the pandemic interventions for diabetes, with negligible differences in blood pressure control. By providing resources such as health screenings, medication deliveries, and telehealth options during the hardships of the pandemic, the clinic strives to maintain quality of care in diabetes management among the cohort of patients with diabetes that could translate well in a post-pandemic clinical environment with further data collection of HbA1c, blood pressure control, and weight. The overall public health significance of this study is meant to highlight the potential benefits of telehealth options in a clinical setting for an underserved populations specifically with type 2 diabetes, a chronic health condition associated with poor outcomes.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| Contributors: |
| Contribution | Contributors Name | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Glynn, Nancy W. | epidnwg@pitt.edu | epidnwg | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Herbert, Mary | herbertmi@upmc.edu | UNSPECIFIED | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Connor, Sharon E. | sconnor@pitt.edu | sconnor | UNSPECIFIED |
|
| Date: |
12 May 2021 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Number of Pages: |
42 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Epidemiology |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Date Deposited: |
13 May 2021 01:43 |
| Last Modified: |
12 May 2023 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/40942 |
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Remote-Care Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic. (deposited 13 May 2021 01:43)
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