Role of Telehealth in Diabetes Type II - Essay Example

Of the many strategies and approaches that have been initiated in caring for chronically diseased patients, the telehealth system is a relatively new addition to the field. With only a decade or so of its commencement, telehealth has established itself as the future of medical care. The results so far have been extremely satisfying for both the patients and the healthcare providers. However, researchers still need to continue to assess the long-term effects telehealth systems will give.

Chronically diseased patients at present are one of the largest groups of patients availing healthcare. The cost and time that this group takes is larger than other groups combined. Many of the visits to the hospitals are emergency visits, which is a further increase in the burden of healthcare services. It is these factors that demand that a new system be introduced where patient care can be done with lesser hospital admissions and lesser complications.

Diabetes has established itself as one of the most cost-demanding and debilitating diseases of the 21st century. The impact of the disease affects all age groups and is prevalent worldwide. In America the figures are high and continue to grow, making a huge impact on the overall health economy. The use of preventive and awareness programs is a new strategy that is being implemented to reduce the cost of the disease.

Also, the introduction of primary health care and home care management systems is being promoted to reduce the incidences of diabetes and to promote healthier lifestyles among patients. The study is aimed to study one of these innovations, the Health Buddy System.

Diabetes has been reported to be the sixth leading cause of death in America in 1999 (CDC, 2002). 6 percent of Americans among the seventeen million are diabetic. Whereas sixteen percent suffer from prediabetes (ADA, 2001). Of the statistics, 90 percent of the patients suffer from type II diabetes. the per capita costs of diabetic patients in 2002 were found to be $ 13,243 as opposed to $2560 for non-diabetic patients (Scott, 2005).

The statistics have shown an exceptional increase in the incidences among the rural areas, where in the 1980s the prevalence jumped from the sixth position to the first among the diseases (Dever, 1991). And these incidences have increased steadily over the last ten years. The situation is compounded by the increased number of patients aging and joining the risk. Based on the current information, it is estimated that the number of patients suffering from diabetes will double by the year 2050 (Boyle, 2001).

Studies have shown a marked prevalence of diabetes in rural areas of America, especially South and Southwest (Gilliland,1999) the increase in the incidences is said to be due to the development of a more urban lifestyle in the rural areas. It also signifies the socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and age differences in the rural area from the more developed areas (Lerman, 1998). Other factors include a lower socioeconomic status, minority group, female gender, gestational diabetes, late detection, and acanthosis nigricans. Certain environmental chemicals have also been advocated for the cause of diabetes (Institute of Medicine, 2001).