%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I JMIR Publications
%V 25
%N 
%P e43669
%T Effectiveness of an Immersive Telemedicine Platform for Delivering Diabetes Medical Group Visits for African American, Black and Hispanic, or Latina Women With Uncontrolled Diabetes: The Women in Control 2.0 Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial
%A Mitchell,Suzanne E
%A Bragg,Alexa
%A De La Cruz,Barbara A
%A Winter,Michael R
%A Reichert,Matthew J
%A Laird,Lance D
%A Moldovan,Ioana A
%A Parker,Kimberly N
%A Martin-Howard,Jessica
%A Gardiner,Paula
%+ Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States, 1 9789856033, suzanne.mitchell2@umassmed.edu
%K type 2 diabetes mellitus
%K virtual world
%K women
%K digital health
%K diabetes self-management education
%K self-management
%K health equity
%K Hispanic or Latina
%K Black or African American
%K group visit
%K shared medical appointment
%D 2023
%7 10.5.2023
%9 Original Paper
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Background: Medically underserved people with type 2 diabetes mellitus face limited access to group-based diabetes care, placing them at risk for poor disease control and complications. Immersive technology and telemedicine solutions could bridge this gap. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of diabetes medical group visits (DMGVs) delivered in an immersive telemedicine platform versus an in-person (IP) setting and establish the noninferiority of the technology-enabled approach for changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and physical activity (measured in metabolic equivalent of task [MET]) at 6 months. Methods: This study is a noninferiority randomized controlled trial conducted from February 2017 to December 2019 at an urban safety net health system and community health center. We enrolled adult women (aged ≥18 years) who self-reported African American or Black race or Hispanic or Latina ethnicity and had type 2 diabetes mellitus and HbA1c ≥8%. Participants attended 8 weekly DMGVs, which included diabetes self-management education, peer support, and clinician counseling using a culturally adapted curriculum in English or Spanish. In-person participants convened in clinical settings, while virtual world (VW) participants met remotely via an avatar-driven, 3D VW linked to video teleconferencing. Follow-up occurred 6 months post enrollment. Primary outcomes were mean changes in HbA1c and physical activity at 6 months, with noninferiority margins of 0.7% and 12 MET-hours, respectively. Secondary outcomes included changes in diabetes distress and depressive symptoms. Results: Of 309 female participants (mean age 55, SD 10.6 years; n=195, 63% African American or Black; n=105, 34% Hispanic or Latina; n=151 IP; and n=158 in VW), 207 (67%) met per-protocol criteria. In the intention-to-treat analysis, we confirmed noninferiority for primary outcomes. We found similar improvements in mean HbA1c by group at 6 months (IP: –0.8%, SD 1.9%; VW: –0.5%, SD 1.8%; mean difference 0.3, 97.5% CI –∞ to 0.3; P<.001). However, there were no detectable improvements in physical activity (IP: –6.5, SD 43.6; VW: –9.6, SD 44.8 MET-hours; mean difference –3.1, 97.5% CI –6.9 to ∞; P=.02). The proportion of participants with significant diabetes distress and depressive symptoms at 6 months decreased in both groups. Conclusions: In this noninferiority randomized controlled trial, immersive telemedicine was a noninferior platform for delivering diabetes care, eliciting comparable glycemic control improvement, and enhancing patient engagement, compared to IP DMGVs. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02726425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02726425 
%M 37163341
%R 10.2196/43669
%U https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e43669
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/43669
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37163341