Telecoaching programme for type 2 diabetes control: a randomised clinical trial

Background: People with diabetes have a high risk of developing micro and macrovascular complications that increase treatment costs and shorten life expectancy. Telecoaching programmes can improve short-term control of diabetes and reduce disease burden. Aims: To analyse the effect of a health telecoaching programme in the control of type 2 diabetes. Methods: A pragmatic clinical trial was carried out. Thirty-one patients with type 2 diabetes were divided into control and intervention groups. The control group received usual nursing care, and those in the intervention group received usual care and telecoaching for 24 weeks. Findings: The intervention group improved: measurements of abdominal circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and body mass index; variables related to glycaemic control (fasting venous glucose and glycated haemoglobin/HbA1c); and high-density lipoprotein levels. Conclusion: The data indicate that telecoaching is an effective tool for diabetes management. It is recommended that the study should be developed to include more people and run over the long term.