McMasterLogo_New-2017-300x165
Back
Evidence Summary

What is an Evidence Summary?

Key messages from scientific research that's ready to be acted on

Got It, Hide this
  • Rating:

Home visits by healthcare providers help diabetic patients manage their condition

Han L, Ma Y, Wei S, et al.  Are home visits an effective method for diabetes management? A quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis Journal of Diabetes Investigation. 2017 March.

Review question

  • Do home visits by healthcare providers help in help patients manage their diabetes?

Background

  • The number of people with diabetes is steadily increasing because of poorer diets, less active lifestyles and an aging population.
  • The economic cost of diabetes is high and steadily rising as existing approaches to treatment have failed to help control it (for instance, through better disease-management programs in primary-care settings). 
  • Home visits by healthcare providers, such as nurses, have shown promising results in diabetes management and may provide a way to control the growing cost of diabetes on the healthcare system.

How the review was done

  • A detailed search of seven electronic databases for studies published up until 2016 was conducted. Studies that focused on a variety of diabetes-related outcomes, such as blood sugar levels, in diabetic patients receiving home visits were included.
  • A total of 295 articles were identified in searches, and seven studies were included in the review after assessments for eligibility.
  • The review was funded by the National Nature Science Foundation of China and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

What the researchers found

  • The review found that home visits by healthcare providers improved a number of outcomes in diabetic patients as compared to usual care, including blood sugar, quality of life, some cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and self-management.
  • There was no noticeable improvement in long-term outcomes such as body weight and total cholesterol levels, which may result from included studies generally having short follow-up.
  • Future research looking at cost-effectiveness is important in determining whether home visits can be a useful tool in combating the growing challenges of diabetes management for millions of people.

Conclusion

  • This review found that home visits can be an effective tool in diabetes management, primarily by reducing blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. To determine whether home visits can be used on a large, population-wide scale, cost-effectiveness studies are necessary.



Related Web Resources

  • Prediabetes: Which Treatment Should I Use to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?

    OHRI
    This patient decision aid helps People with prediabetes considering treatment to help prevent type 2 diabetes decide on whether to make a major lifestyle change or take the medicine metformin by comparing the benefits, risks, and side effects of both options.
  • What should I eat? Types of fat

    Harvard School of Public Health
    There are three main types of fat: unsaturated, saturated and trans fat. Unsaturated fats can help improve cholesterol levels and lower inflammation and are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and fish. Trans fats are common in fast foods, and can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
  • Medication for type 2 diabetes

    Informed Health Online
    Talk to your doctor about diabetes medications. Consider your treatment goals, age, weight, health conditions and other medications when deciding if a drug is right for you.
DISCLAIMER These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).

Register for free access to all Professional content

Register