Nurses, community health promoters, and mobile technology can make a difference to improve glycemic control in type-2 diabetes patients

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Adriana Carolina Vargas-Ojeda, Rufino Menchaca Diaz, David Sergio Salas-Vargas, Alana Ortez and Maria Cecilia Anzaldo Campos

Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico
International Community Foundation, USA
Mexican Social Security Institute, Mexico

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

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Diabetes is a global epidemic and a huge public health problem in Mexico, where almost 75% of the adult population over 20 years old, is considered to be obese or overweight and diabetes prevalence is almost 10%, according to the 2016 National Health and Nutrition Survey. (ENSANUT). The role of the Nurse working together with the community health promoter has resulted in an operational strategy that has benefited patients with type-2 diabetes in the control of their Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels through the Dulce Wireless Tijuana program (DWT). The use of mobile application on 3G phones allowed patients to send a questionnaire to monitor how they were controlling their diabetes. The patients responses were sent through their 3G mobile phones and immediately entered into the database, which allowed the Nurses and medical doctors to consult and review them at once. The community health promoters and Nurses who participated in the study sent voice and text messages to the patients. Alerts were sent to medical personnel when patients reported extremely out-of-range levels or when the system detected lack of attendance at appointments, tests or educational sessions. These alerts appeared in the database of Nurses and doctors for immediate review and follow-up. The significative results of DWT suggest that integrating Nurse coordination, peer-led education and mobile technologies is an effective approach for improving diabetes outcomes in highrisk populations. Final results of DWT were published in the April 2016 issue of Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics.

Biography

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Adriana Carolina Vargas-Ojeda has graduated from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México as a Medical Doctor and Completed her Residency in Pediatrics at the Hospital Infantil de México, UNAM. She has obtained her Master’s degree in Educational Management at UABC and a PhD in Educational Sciences at UIA-Noroeste. She has served as the Dean of the School of Medicine from 2000-2002 and as Vice Rector from 2002-2006 at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California. She is a Professor and has been recognized as a level 1 Investigator by the National Research System of Mexico.

E-mail: caro_vargas@uabc.edu.mx