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News Release
CU-Health Sciences Center Launches Study of Online Patient Portal Designed to Improve and Sustain Diabetes Self-Care
DENVER (Oct. 5, 2004) — The University of Colorado Denver was recently awarded a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Health e-Technologies Initiative national program. The award will be used to study an Internet application called Diabetes System to Access Records (Diabetes-STAR).
The $400,000 grant will fund the launch of a two-year study of Diabetes-STAR by the UC Denver and Health Sciences Center 's Colorado Health Outcomes Program. Diabetes-STAR, whose development was funded by the University of Colorado Hospital, is designed to assist the self-care of people living with Type 2 diabetes by providing them with customized information and advice, and by facilitating electronic communication with their medical providers.
Patients can use Diabetes-STAR to access information in their medical record, send messages to hospital staff, schedule appointments, request referrals and refill prescriptions. Diabetes-STAR will enable patients to maintain a diary of their blood sugar and blood pressure and to track lab test results. It will also assist patients in overcoming the barriers that impede their goals for better diet and exercise habits.
"This interactive, personalized health information technology will play a vital role in empowering patients to lead healthier lives," said Dr. Stephen Ross, assistant professor of general internal medicine at UC Denver and Health Sciences Center and principal investigator of the Diabetes-STAR project. "We selected patients with Type 2 diabetes for this study because Type 2 diabetes is on the rise and it requires a lot of self-care."
Beginning December 1, the study will enroll 450 patients that are already being treated for Type 2 diabetes at University of Colorado Hospital's outpatient clinics. Two versions of the Diabetes-STAR program will be compared in a randomized trial. In September 2006, main outcomes of the study will be reported.
"We think that information technology that is personalized, convenient and patient friendly holds great promise in improving the care patients receive at the office and between visits," Ross said. "This study will help us develop programs that make a real difference in helping our patients enjoy healthier lives."
The Health e-Technologies Initiative, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge about the effectiveness of interactive applications in improving healthy lifestyles and the care of chronic diseases. More information is available online at www.hetinitiative.org.
University of Colorado Hospital is one of six sites nationwide to receive an award in this series of Health-e Technologies Initiative grants, which are allocated to programs that assess online applications known as "patient portals."
The University of Colorado Denver is one of three campuses in the University of Colorado system. Located in Denver and Aurora, Colo., the center includes schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry, a graduate school and a teaching hospital. For more information, visit the Web site at www.uchsc.edu.