Introduction:

Monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is a cost-effective strategy, which with a comprehensive approach, reduces the costs of care. Telehealth is an adequate tool focused on this purpose.

Objective:

To describe the use of telehealth for monitoring type 2 diabetes mellitus in Colombia under the primary care framework.

Methods:

A narrative review was carried out by searching databases (PubMed, Google Scholar ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and EMBASE) and official documents. In total, 154 documents were collected; subsequently, a content analysis was carried out and 45 articles and documents were selected.

Results:

Telehealth is a useful tool in the control of patients with diabetes. In the reviewed studies, the potential of telehealth in reducing costs and adequate glycemic control in this population is evidenced. The tools of technology and communication, together with telehealth in diabetic patients, could favor their adequate self-control, reduction the costs to the social security system.

Conclusions:

The use of telehealth is presented as an alternative for patients with diabetes, which should be considered by primary care physicians who are the gateway to the health system. However, more studies are needed on the subject, to determine accurately the benefit of telehealth as a tool for control of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Colombia, under the framework of primary health care.

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