[Diabetologist 2.0; patients perform diabetic tests using a multilingual robot].

Abstract

Information technology can contribute to diabetes education and stimulate self-management particularly in patients at high risk of complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who are difficult to reach due to language barriers, as a computer can theoretically speak all languages. The patient can use the DiabetesStation to perform diabetic tests themselves. It provides an interactive interface that connects a touch screen playing instruction videos and written and spoken texts with measuring devices and information systems from the referring physicians and the patients. In our pilot study almost all patients were able to measure blood pressure and body weight and to take retinal fundus photographs independently, supervised by a virtual diabetologist on the multilingual DiabetesStation. The effect on quality of care for T2DM patients of applying information technology for virtual supervision must now be tested in primary health care.