Diabetes and Internet
Kun-Ho Yoon, Jae-Hyoung Cho, Hyuk-Sang Kwon, Ho-Young Son
Affiliation : Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Many controlled clinical trials have shown that maintaining the appropriate HbA1c level reduced
the risk of diabetic chronic complications in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, data
from the “National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys” showed that the glycemic control did not
change at all until recently in real practice. These data suggest new approaches are urgently needed to
achieve and maintain the target to treat to reduce the serious chronic diabetic complications. For achieve-
ment of ideal glycemic control in diabetic patients, intimate doctor-patient relationship and individualized
care and education is essential. And this very close communications between health care providers and the
patients with diabetes should be lifelong and consistent. However it is almost impossible in the current “face-
to-face” treated medical system.
The internet is a worldwide communication system that allows a person to contact with others
anywhere at anytime. So, whenever diabetic patients want to contact with their providers they can get
information using internet. Korea is one of the most developed countries in the fields of internet-network.
Nearly all the families have their own computers and can access the internet via modem or high speed network
system. So, we designed the web-based diabetic patients’ management system so call “Internet Based glucose
monitoring system” (IBGMS) instead of standard face-to-face doctor-patients interview in the hospital.
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