Diabetes Type II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Diabetes Type II - Essay Example Of the many strategies and approaches that have been initiated in caring for chronically diseased patients, the telehealth system is a relatively new addition to the field. With only a decade or so of its commencement, telehealth has established itself as the future of medical care. The results so far have been extremely satisfying for both the patients and the health care providers. However, researches still need to continue in order to assess the long-term effects telehealth systems will give. Chronically diseased patients at the present are one of the largest group of patients availing health care. The cost and time that this group takes is larger than other groups combined together. Many of the visits to the hospitals are emergency visits, which are a further increase in the burden of the health care services. It is these factors that demand that a new system be introduced where patient care can be done with lesser hospital admissions and lesser complications. Diabetes has established itself as one of the most cost demanding and debilitating diseases of the 21st century. The impact of the disease affects all age groups and is prevalent worldwide. In America the figures are high and continue to grow, making a huge impact in the overall health economy. ... Also, introduction of primary health care and home care management systems is also being promoted to reduce the incidences of diabetes and to promote healthier lifestyles among patients. The study is aimed to study one of these new innovations, the Health Buddy System. Chapter Two: Literature Review The literature review is basically concerned with reviewing previous research that has been conducted on the disease under discussion and its prevention and cure measures. This part will focus on the following aspects: 2.1 Situation and Statistics of Diabetes Diabetes has been reported to be the sixth leading cause of death in America in 1999. (CDC, 2002) 6 percent of the Americans among the seventeen million are diabetic. Where as sixteen percent suffer from prediabetes. (ADA, 2001) Of the statistics, 90 percent of the patients suffer from type II diabetes. the per capita costs of diabetic patients in 2002 was found to be $ 13,243 as opposed to $2560 for the non diabetic patients.(Scott,2005) The statistics have shown an exceptional increase in the incidences among the rural areas, where in the 1980s the prevalence jumped from the sixth position to the first among the diseases. (Dever, 1991) And these incidences have increased steadily over the last ten years. The situation is compounded by the increased number of patients aging and joining the risk. Based on the current information, it is estimated that the number of patients suffering from diabetes will double by the year 2050. (Boyle, 2001) The cost for the care is staggering. The treatment costs for diabetes and diabetes related diseases in the US are $132 billion a year. (Brewin, 2005) The prevalence of diabetes is present among all ethnic and racial groups. Some, however suffer more from