Abstract

Smart electronic health applications (SEHA) �??Telehealth for Diabetes�?�: Paradigm shift in diabetes practice and patient�??s self-management

There are eight key elements that define a smart city: Smart governance, smart building, smart healthcare, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, smart energy and smart citizens. By 2025, it is estimate that there will be enormous increase in smart health applications in practice. The application of technology such as Telehealth and mobile health will give rise to smart healthcare cities, where the focus will be on improving the operating efficiency and quality. TeleHealth services with proven track records today can be broadly categorized into three groups: Teleconsultation, telemonitoring, and electronic health record. Teleconsultation allows patients to consult doctors about non-emergency medical conditions such as video call over an online link without having to step out of their house. Telemonitoring on the other hand, helps healthcare professionals keep a close eye on patients dealing with chronic medical conditions such as vital signs of blood pressure and glucose level. In the back, electronic health record keeping ties the whole system together with no more paper work. It allows healthcare professionals to see a patient???s entire medical history, helping them make more accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment of their conditions. Close management of metabolic disorders by monitoring vital signs such as blood glucose and blood pressure is considered to be the key element in any management or prevention protocol. Yet, the magnitude of TeleHealth effects remains debatable, especially with the variation in patients??? characteristics (e.g., background, ability for self-management, medical condition, education and healthcare infrastructure). In Middle East, increasing awareness about TeleHealth in general and telemonitoring in particular and investigation of telemonitoring efficacy and cost-effectiveness is needed to prevent and manage metabolic disorders by monitoring lifestyle parameters and control glycemic level and blood pressure as the main cause of metabolic disorders complications. The translation of knowledge to practice lags in the health professions. We describe the eHealth promotion knowledge-to-action practice concept on how Diabetes Mellitus (DM) prevention can be readily incorporated into TeleHealth practice. In addition to means of targeting patients and encouraging them to participate in health behavior change, attention is given to the role of TeleHealth components of DM prevention and management. TeleHealth services with proven track records today can be broadly categorized into 3 groups: Teleconsultation, Telemonitoring, and Electronic Health Record. Teleconsultation allows patients to consult doctors about non-emergency medical conditions such as video call over an online link without having to step out of their house. Telemonitoring, on the other hand, helps healthcare professionals keep a close eye on patients dealing with chronic medical conditions such as vital signs of blood pressure and glucose levels fig1& fig2. In the back, electronic health record keeping ties the whole system together with no more paper work.

It allows healthcare professionals to see a patient’s entire medical history, helping them make more accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment of their conditions.Researched, close management of diabetic patients through monitoring showed significant reduction in glycemic level. Yet, the magnitude of its effects remains debatable, especially with the variation in patients’ characteristics (e.g. background, ability for self-management, medical condition, education). In Middle East, increasing awareness about telemonitroing and investigation of telemonitoring efficacy and cost-effectiveness is needed to prevent and manage DM by monitoring lifestyle parameters and control glycemic level as the main cause of DM complications


Author(s): Hamzeh J Awad

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