The effect of telemonitoring on quality of life in people with insulin‐treated type 2 diabetes: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Aims Telemonitoring in type 2 diabetes (T2D) care has demonstrated positive trends in terms of glycaemic control. However, evidence regarding its impact on patient‐reported outcomes, such as general and diabetes‐specific quality of life (QoL), remains inconclusive. In particular, the effect of telemonitoring in people with insulin‐treated T2D is underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of telemonitoring on general and diabetes‐specific QoL compared with usual care in people with insulin‐treated T2D. Methods Participants were randomised (1:1) to telemonitoring or usual care for 3 months. The primary outcomes were changes in the Short Form‐12 Health Survey (SF‐12) and the DAWN2 Impact of Diabetes Profile (DIDP). Telemonitoring included a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a connected insulin pen, and an activity tracker. Data were monitored by hospital staff, who also provided regular telephone support. Usual care comprised a blinded connected insulin pen and a blinded CGM during the first and final 20 days, but their data were not monitored. ANCOVA compared groups for normally distributed data, with baseline scores as covariates. The Mann–Whitney U test was applied for non‐normally distributed outcomes. Results A total of 331 participants were included (telemonitoring: n = 166; usual care: n = 165). No significant between‐group differences were found in SF‐12 scores for neither the physical ( p = 0.102) nor mental component summary score ( p = 0.566). The telemonitoring group showed a statistically significant improvement in DIDP compared with usual care ( p = 0.015). Conclusions Telemonitoring had no effect on general QoL but led to a statistically significant improvement in diabetes‐specific QoL.