Objective-The purpose of this study was to determine whether hyperglycemia, as measured by glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb), in adolescents with diabetes could be prevented or reduced through the use of computer generated phone calls between office visits. Research Design and Methods- A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted. Twenty-nine adolescents were randomly assigned to receive phone calls generated by a computer program (Dr. GOOP) and 32 adolescents received usual clinic care. Results-Patients with low/good initial GHb levels who received the phone calls were able to maintain these levels, whereas those patients who exhibited low initial GHb Levels but did not receive the phone calls tended to have higher GHb levels at follow-up. The phone calls did not influence the follow-up GHb levels of those with high initial GHb levels. Conclusion-Computer generated phone calls that reminded and encouraged patients to perform desired health behaviors may help those patients already experiencing some success to manage their glucose levels. However, simple phone call reminders do not help patients in initially poor control. Computer generated phone calls offer an inexpensive alternative to intensive DCCT-type follow-up, but further refinement is needed to make the approach more effective.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Define concepts related to computer generated telephony applications. 2. Describe one approach to the modification of adolescent healthy behavior related to a chronic disease. 3. Evaluate whether a telephony based system can modify behavior of adolescents with diabetes
Keywords: Computer-Assisted, Diabetes
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: I own the copyright on the computer program, Dr. GOOP(Goal and Objective Oriented Programming) that was used in this project (my dissertation)
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.