Impact of urgently initiated tele-prescription due to COVID-19 on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that had affected more than 13,000 people in South Korea by July 2020. To prevent spread of COVID-19, tele-prescription was permitted temporarily. This study investigated the impact of tele-prescription on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS:

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations were retrospectively analyzed in patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with tele-prescription because of COVID-19 and those who were treated by face-to-face care (non-tele-prescription group) enrolled at the same period of time. Mean HbA1c concentrations and mean change in HbA1c concentration (ΔHbA1c) were compared in these two groups.

RESULTS:

The mean HbA1c levels of patients were significantly higher after than before the tele-prescription period (7.46% ± 1.24% vs. 7.27% ± 1.13%, p < 0.05). Mean ΔHbA1c was significantly higher in the tele-prescription than in the non-tele-prescription group (0.19% ± 0.68% vs. 0.04% ± 0.95%, p < 0.05). HbA1c was significantly greater in patients taking fewer oral hypoglycemic agents, no insulin, fewer comorbidities (e.g., coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular accident, and diabetic neuropathy), and higher baseline HbA1c.

CONCLUSION:

Tele-prescription may worsen glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes during public health crises.

• Authors: Sung-Don Park, Na-Young Kim, Jae-Han Jeon, Jung-Guk Kim, In-Kyu Lee, Keun-Gyu Park, Yeon-Kyung Choi
• Journal: The Korean journal of internal medicine (Korean J Intern Med) Vol. 36 Issue 4 Pg. 942-948 (07 2021) ISSN: 2005-6648 [Electronic] Korea (South)
• PMID: 34092049 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Blood Glucose
• Glycated Hemoglobin A
• Hypoglycemic Agents

Topics

• Blood Glucose
• COVID-19
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Glycated Hemoglobin (analysis)
• Glycemic Control
• Humans
• Hypoglycemic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Prescriptions
• Republic of Korea (epidemiology)
• Retrospective Studies
• SARS-CoV-2