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Evaluation of a care coordination/home-telehealth program for veterans with diabetes: health services utilization and health-related quality of life.

Chumbler NR, Neugaard B, Kobb R, Ryan P, Qin H, Joo Y

Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development/Rehabilitation Research and Development, Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center, & Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Stroke QUERI, North Florida. Neale.Chumbler@med.va.gov

We evaluated a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care coordination/ home-telehealth (CC/HT) program on the utilization of health care services and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in veterans with diabetes. Administrative records of 445 veterans with diabetes were reviewed to compare health care service utilization in the 1-year period before and 1-year period post-enrollment and also examined self-reported HRQL at enrollment and 1 year later. Multivariate analyses indicated a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients who were hospitalized (50% reduction), emergency room use (11% reduction), reduction in the average number of bed days of care (decreased an average of 3.0 days), and improvement in the HRQL role-physical functioning, bodily pain, and social functioning. The results need to be interpreted with caution because we used a single-group study design that may be influenced by regression to the mean. Ideally, future research should use a randomized controlled trial design.

Published 7 November 2005 in Eval Health Prof, 28(4): 464-78.
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