Development of a Telephone Service System for Type 2 Diabetes Patients in the Era of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Lamphun Hospital, Wiang Yong Branch, Mueng District, Lamphun Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research and development were to develop and study the effects of a telephone service system for type 2 diabetes patients in the era of the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic at Lamphun Hospital, Wiang Yong Branch, Mueang Lamphun District, and Lamphun Province. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique, consisting of 17 health personnel in chronic disease clinics and 150 patients with type 2 diabetes. The research process consisted of four phases: 1) study and analyze the problem situation; 2) design and develop the telephone service system; 3) conduct the trial of the telephone service system; and 4) evaluate the system. The research instruments were the telephone service system and the postal drug delivery system for diabetic patients developed by the researcher. The data collection tools were: 1) group discussion questions to analyze the problem situation; 2) a data collection form from an electronic database; and 3) a satisfaction assessment form. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A paired t-test was used to compare the difference between fasting glucose and cumulative mean glucose before and after telephone service.

The results showed that after receiving a telephone service system, participants' mean plasma glucose level after fasting decreased statistically significantly from 151.51 mg/dl to 129.33 mg/dl (p-value < 0.001), and the cumulative average glucose level decreased significantly from 7.55 mg% to 6.75 mg% (p-value < 0.001). Participants were satisfied with a telephone service system at the highest satisfaction level. The results of this research can be used as a guideline for setting up policies or plans for the development of telephone service systems for patients with other chronic diseases.