The Effects of a Smart Phone App on Hospital Readmission Rates for Patients Diagnosed with Diabetes

The Effects of a Smart Phone App on Hospital Readmission Rates for Patients Diagnosed with Diabetes

Description

Abstract

Diabetes has been a growing concern in the United States due to the rapidly increasing incidence of this disease over the past decade. In their 2014 report, the CDC reported there were 29.1 million people diagnosed with diabetes in 2012, comprising 9.3% of the total US population. In addition, according to the CDC, 1.7 million people were newly diagnosed with type I and type II diabetes in 2012 with health care costs at an estimated $245 billion. Moving forward, the most effective approach is to empower and educate these patients to self-manage their own disease to decrease or prevent acute and chronic complications associated with diabetes. Many studies have been conducted examining the effectiveness of smart phone apps as an educational tool to engage patients in the self-management of their diabetes. These studies measured success based primarily on the subject's hemoglobin A1c. However, the literature was deplete of studies on the effect of smart phone apps on reducing hospital readmission rates for patients diagnosed with diabetes. The aim of this study is to determine if a smart phone app, CareSmarts, utilizing text alerts and educational alerts and educational material is effective in reducing hospital readmission rates related to acute diabetic complications within 30 days of hospital discharge for patients who are insulin-dependent diabetics, newly diagnosed diabetics, and those admitted for an acute diabetic exacerbation.

Publication Date

11-12-2014

City

Philadelphia

Disciplines

Nursing

Comments

Presented at the 2014 Annual Research Symposium, Thomas Jefferson University

The Effects of a Smart Phone App on Hospital Readmission Rates for Patients Diagnosed with Diabetes

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