A new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco suggests a possibility to identify safety triggers for diabetes patients with the use of interactive voice recognition technology that make follow-up calls. The study appeared in the May issue of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.
"We classified 13 categories for safety events and potential safety events within a larger trial evaluating a multilingual automated telephone self-management support system for diabetes using interactive voice response," the researchers wrote. "Participants could trigger safety concerns by reporting hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia; inability to obtain medications; medication non-adherence and side effects; and needing appointments and/or supplies."
Self-management support was given to type II diabetes patients through interactive messaging using an automated voice system. UCSF researchers took a close look at safety triggers such as high or low blood sugar, not having the right medications or experiencing significant side effects in an effort to learn more about patient safety during between-visit interactions and outpatient settings.
"About half of patients enrolled in a self-management technology intervention triggered at least one potential safety event over the course of the trial, and this was more frequent among some patients," researchers wrote in the study. "Systems implementing HIT strategies to improve self-care and remote monitoring should consider specific program design elements to address these potential safety events."
The AHRQ also worked in conjunction with HCA Holdings, Inc., investigators at Harvard and several other academic institutions on a comprehensive infection prevention study conducted at 43 HCA-affiliated hospitals.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, which supports research and is designed to improve the outcomes and quality of healthcare. The AHRQ also aims to address patient safety, reduce costs and expand the accessibility of effective services.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
