Effectiveness of communication tools in the frequency of return for reassessment of the glucose level in postpartum women with gestational diabetes

• Grant number: 11/22782-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Rossana Pulcineli Vieira Francisco
• Grantee: Carolina de Souza Coelho Waterkemper
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Patients who develop gestational diabetes are at greater risk of remaining diabetic soon after birth or develop diabetes mellitus in the years following pregnancy. It is already possible to detect this condition in the postpartum period, through the testing of oral glucose tolerance. Despite this, many pregnant women fail to perform this assessment. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of a telephone reminder system to increase the rate of return for reevaluation of the women postpartum glucose. There will be a prospective randomized study in the Division of Clinical Obstetrics, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (HC-USP), comparing the rate of return for postpartum glycemic assessment of patients with gestational diabetes. It is estimated that 54 patients will be needed in each group, added to 20% losses, totaling 130 patients. The women will be divided into two groups, in both the patient will be informed of the date scheduled for the test and the importance of it in their hospital discharge after delivery, according to the usual practice adopted in the service. In the study group patients will receive the phone call to remember about the test one week before the scheduled date, while the control group did not receive that call. The rate of return will be compared between the groups. From the results obtained with this research, can be deployed strategies to increase the possibility of diagnosis of diabetes or glucose intolerance postpartum in patients with gestational diabetes. (AU)