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Mobile phone messaging reminders for attendance at...

Mobile phone messaging reminders for attendance at...

A Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews meta-analysis

12 December 2013
Authors' conclusions from the article: Low to moderate quality evidence included in this review shows that mobile phone text messaging reminders increase attendance at healthcare appointments compared to no...
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Introduction to the Health IT Adoption Toolbox

Introduction to the Health IT Adoption Toolbox

A YouTube video posted by HRSA

8 December 2013
From the HRSA website: "Effective use of EHRs is a must for everyone in the safety net community. The main goal of EHRs is improving the quality and safety of patient care. Having one accurate, up-to-date record that...
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Diabetes Self-Management Smartphone Application for...

13 November 2013

From the article abstract:

Methods

Patients were recruited through an online type 1 diabetes support group and letters mailed to adults with type 1 diabetes throughout Australia. In a 6-month intervention, followed by a three-month follow-up, patients (n=72) were randomized to usual care (control group) or usual care and the use of a smartphone application (Glucose Buddy) with weekly text-message feedback from a Certified Diabetes Educator (intervention group). All outcome measures were collected at baseline and every three months over the study period. Patients’ glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c) were measured with a blood test and diabetes-related self-efficacy, self-care activities, and quality of life were measured with online questionnaires.

Results

The mean age of patients was 35.20 years (SD 10.43) (28 male, 44 female), 39% (28/72) were male, and patients had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for a mean of 18.94 years (SD 9.66). Of the initial 72 patients, 53 completed the study (25 intervention, 28 control group). The intervention group significantly improved glycemic control (HbA1c) from baseline (mean 9.08%, SD 1.18) to 9-month follow-up (mean 7.80%, SD 0.75), compared to the control group (baseline: mean 8.47%, SD 0.86, follow-up: mean 8.58%, SD 1.16). No significant change over time was found in either group in relation to self-efficacy, self-care activities, and quality of life.

What Your Can Do to Protect Your Health Information

14 May 2013
Source: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Access Your Health Information with the Blue Button

8 April 2013

The Blue Button logoFrom the HealthIT.Gov website: "Blue Button" is a way for you to get easy, secure online access to your health information. To "Blue Button" means you can "download your health data" so you can use it to improve your health and be more engaged in your healthcare. As Americans, we each have the legal right to access our own health information held by doctors, hospitals and others that provide health care services for us. But many of us don't, either because we don't know we can, or because we're not sure what to do with our health information once we have it. Until recently, most medical information was stored in paper files, so it wasn't very easy to access or use anyhow. But all that is changing as more health care providers (doctors and hospitals) adopt electronic health record systems and other health information technology (health IT). Patients will have more opportunities to get access to their health records electronically and to engage with their clinical teams about their medical records.

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