Pros and Cons of Telemedicine in Diabetes-Survey among Doctors and Allied HCPs

An acceleration in the adoption and use of telemedicine (TM) was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A more nuanced view emerged, including the importance of accommodating patient choice, appropriately matching encounter type to visit the platform, acknowledging the hazards associated with care delivered remotely, and adapting existing models of advanced team-based care. We have been practicing TM in diabetes since 1997. Diabetes Tele Management System, [DTMS®] is a structured diabetes management program integrated with electronic medical records, that enables telecommunication via telephone, email, and internet. To study the pros and cons of TM across a wider group a web-linked survey was conducted among doctors, allied healthcare professionals (aHCPs). The link was sent to doctors, aHCPs across India (Sept 2022-December 2022) via email and WhatsApp. The survey received 654 responses, 65% being doctors and HCPs out of which 89% had not received training prior to engaging in telemedicine consultations. Summary of responses from doctors and HCPs in Table 1. Though the majority of patients may be satisfied with TM, the prevailing practices should be periodically evaluated and upgraded incorporating the feedback from the users. It is essential to understand both pros and cons of TM in the view of doctors and aHCPs, to enable the policymakers to devise policies that enhance the scope of quality patient care. Disclosure J.Kesavadev: None. A.Shankar: None. B.D.Saboo: None. S.R.Joshi: Advisory Panel; Biocon, Zydus Cadila, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Franco India, Consultant; Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Twin Health, Speaker's Bureau; Abbott Nutrition, Sanofi, Abbott, Novo Nordisk, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. A.Basanth: None. G.Krishnan: None. S.Jothydev: None.