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. 2025 Feb 19:19322968251319333.
doi: 10.1177/19322968251319333. Online ahead of print.

Comparison of the Effect of Teleconsultations, Hybrid Visits, and In-Person Visits on Glycemic and Metabolic Parameters Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes in India

Anandakumar Amutha  1 , Shyama Reji  1 , Ramamurthy Hema Aarthi  2 , Srinivas Keertan Rao  3 , S Ganesan  1 , Saravanan Jebarani  1 , Gangadhara Praveen  4 , Ranjit Unnikrishnan  1   4 , Viswanathan Mohan  1   4 , Ranjit Mohan Anjana  1   4
Affiliations

Comparison of the Effect of Teleconsultations, Hybrid Visits, and In-Person Visits on Glycemic and Metabolic Parameters Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes in India

Anandakumar Amutha et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol. .

Abstract

Aim: We compared biochemical and clinical data of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who opted for only teleconsultation (ie, no in-person visit at all), hybrid visits (combining home blood tests and in-person consultation), and fully in-person visits (both tests and consultation in person) at a tertiary care diabetes center.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, we retrieved demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data of 8197 individuals with T2D who sought diabetes care between 2021 and 2023 (384 participants with only teleconsultations, 721 with hybrid visits, and 7092 with fully in-person visits) from the electronic medical records of a chain of tertiary diabetes care centers across India.

Results: Individuals who opted for teleconsultation had a shorter duration of diabetes compared with those who opted for hybrid or fully in-person visits. Although participants who opted for a teleconsultation had better glycemic and lipid control at baseline, those who underwent hybrid and in-person visits showed greater improvements in fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin (A1c), and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) during follow-up. Improvements in overall ABC target achievement (A1c, Blood pressure, and LDL-C) were greater in participants who had in-person visits compared with the other two groups.

Conclusion: While teleconsultation is a useful complement to in-person visits, the latter results in better glycemic and lipid control, perhaps due to more effective engagement with the diabetes care team.

Keywords: India; control; hybrid visits; in-person visits; targets; teleconsultation; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study flowchart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Age group-wise distribution of study participants.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mean biochemical parameters of baseline and follow-up visits of participants among teleconsultation, hybrid visits and in-person visits.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
ABC control of study participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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