Columbia University's Informatics for Diabetes Education and Telemedicine (IDEATel) Project: rationale and design

• Published in: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 49 - 62
• Main Authors: Shea, Steven, Starren, Justin, Weinstock, Ruth S, Knudson, Paul E, Teresi, Jeanne, Holmes, Douglas, Palmas, Walter, Field, Lesley, Goland, Robin, Tuck, Catherine, Hripcsak, George, Capps, Linnea, Liss, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-01-2002; American Medical Informatics Association
• Subjects: Case Management; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; Diabetes Mellitus - blood; Diabetes Mellitus - therapy; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Feasibility Studies; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; Hospital Information Systems - organization & administration; Humans; Internet; New York; New York City; Original Investigation; Patient Education as Topic; Patient Satisfaction; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Software; Telemedicine; Telemedicine - economics; Telemedicine - organization & administration; Universities
• ISSN: 1067-5027; 1527-974X
• DOI: 10.1136/jamia.2002.0090049

The Columbia University Informatics for Diabetes Education and Telemedicine (IDEATel) Project is a four-year demonstration project funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with the overall goals of evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine in the management of older patients with diabetes. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial and is being conducted by a state-wide consortium in New York. Eligibility requires that participants have diabetes, are Medicare beneficiaries, and reside in federally designated medically underserved areas. A total of 1,500 participants will be randomized, half in New York City and half in other areas of the state. Intervention participants receive a home telemedicine unit that provides synchronous videoconferencing with a project-based nurse, electronic transmission of home fingerstick glucose and blood pressure data, and Web access to a project Web site. End points include glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and lipid levels; patient satisfaction; health care service utilization; and costs. The project is intended to provide data to help inform regulatory and reimbursement policies for electronically delivered health care services.