The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research reported on Thursday the receipt of a USD3.03m research grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for the study of home telemonitoring programme for patients in the Hispanic community living with type 2 diabetes.

This USD3.03m PCORI grant was awarded to Feinstein Institute for Medical Research's Professor Renée Pekmezaris, PhD. This is Dr Pekmezaris' third PCORI award to develop a telemedicine programme for underserved populations. She will create one specific telemedicine programme for the Hispanic community.

About 33% percent of all Hispanics living in the US will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Half of them experience an illness burden and mortality rate that is 50 to 100% higher than non-Hispanic whites. Currently, there is no diabetes telemedicine programme tailored made for the Hispanic community.The new study has two phases.

In the first phase, the research team will be guided by a Diabetes Community Advisory Board comprised of patients, caregivers, patient advocates, Diabetes Association, clinicians, insurance representatives, health policy and disparities experts to identify important needs of the Hispanic community in developing the program.

Under the second phase of the study, Dr Pekmezaris and her team will conduct a randomised clinical trial to determine whether the health of Hispanic patients who receive this adapted telemonitoring intervention is improved compared to those who receive standard outpatient care.

The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider in New York.