Telemedicine and COVID-19 pandemic: The perfect storm to mark a change in diabetes care. Results from a world-wide cross-sectional web-based survey.

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine for routine care of people with diabetes (PwD) during the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly increased in many countries, helping to address the several barriers usually seen.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe healthcare professionals' (HCPs) experience on telemedicine use in diabetes care and investigate the changes and challenges associated with its implementation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed through the global network of JENIOUS members of ISPAD. Respondents' professional and practice profiles, clinic sizes, their country of practice, and data regarding local telemedicine practices during COVID-19 pandemic were investigated.

RESULTS

Answers from 209 HCPs from 33 countries were analyzed. During the pandemic, the proportion of PwD receiving telemedicine visits increased from <10% (65.1% of responders) to >50% (66.5%). There was an increase in specific privacy requirements for remote visits (37.3% to 75.6%), data protection policies (42.6% to 74.2%) and reimbursement for remote care (from 41.1% to 76.6%). Overall, 83.3% HCPs reported to be satisfied with the use of telemedicine. Some concerns (17.5%) about the complexity and heterogeneity of the digital platforms to be managed in everyday practice remain, feeding the need for unifying and making interoperable the tools for remote care. Also, 45.5% of professionals reported to feel stressed by the need for extra-time for telemedicine consultations.

CONCLUSIONS

Telemedicine was rapidly and broadly adopted during the pandemic globally. Some issues related to its use were promptly addressed by local institutions. Challenges with the use of different platforms and for the need of extra-time still remain to be solved.