Communication about diabetes risk factors during between-visit encounters

Abstract

Objectives: Secure messaging and phone encounters are becoming widespread to increase patient access to providers between ambulatory care visits. Although these encounters have the potential to improve the control of diabetes risk factors,we know little about their content in relation to traditional in-person visits.

Study design: Cross-sectional analysis of survey and electronic health record data of patients with diabetes receiving care at Group Health Cooperative in 2008 to 2009.

Methods: The primary outcome was patient-reported communication with their providers about risk factors for diabetes complications (glucose, blood pressure [BP], and cholesterol) during in-person, phone, and secure messaging encounters. Additional variables included patient demographic, health, and utilization characteristics. We examined unadjusted associations with reported communication by risk factor, encounter type, and demographic/health characteristics.

Results: Among 569 patients, 50% were aged ≥ 65 years, 50% were male, 35% had ≥ college education, and 64% were white; 77% had ≥ 1 between-visit encounter (63% phone, 41% secure messaging). Discussions about glucose were reported by 89% during in-person visits and 42% during between-visit encounters compared with 81% and 17% for BP and 76% and 20% for cholesterol (all P < .001). Those who were younger, more educated, of black or other race/ethnicity, on insulin, or in poor control of glycated hemoglobin were more likely to report risk factor discussions during between-visit encounters.

Conclusions: In this system, patients with diabetes reported significantly fewer risk factor discussions during between-visit encounters compared with in-person visits. These results suggest potential missed opportunities for proactive support of risk factor management.