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ABSTRACT: Background
Self-monitoring and self-management, crucial for optimal glucose control in type 1 diabetes, requires many disease-related decisions per day and imposes a substantial disease burden on people with diabetes. Innovative technologies that integrate relevant measurements may offer solutions that support self-management, decrease disease burden, and benefit diabetes control.Objective
The objective of our study was to evaluate a prototype integrated mobile phone diabetes app in people with type 1 diabetes.Methods
In this exploratory study, we developed an app that contained cloud-stored log functions for glucose, carbohydrates (including a library), insulin, planned exercise, and mood, combined with a bolus calculator and communication functions. Adults with diabetes tested the app for 6 weeks. We assessed the feasibility of app use, user experiences, perceived disease burden (through questionnaires), insulin dose and basal to bolus ratio, mean glucose level, hemoglobin A1c, and number of hypoglycemic events.Results
A total of 19 participants completed the study, resulting in 5782 data entries. The most frequently used feature was logging blood glucose, insulin, and carbohydrates. Mean diabetes-related emotional problems (measured with the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale) scores decreased from 14.4 (SD 10.0) to 12.2 (SD 10.3; P=.04), and glucose control improved, with hemoglobin A1c decreasing from 7.9% (mean 62.3, SD 8 mmol/mol) to 7.6% (mean 59.8, SD 7 mmol/mol; P=.047). The incidence of hypoglycemic events did not change. Participants were generally positive about the app, rating it as "refreshing," and as providing structure by reinforcing insulin-dosing principles. The app revealed substantial knowledge gaps. Logged data enabled additional detailed analyses.Conclusions
An integrated mobile diabetes app has the potential to improve diabetes self-management and provide tailored educational support, which may decrease disease burden and benefit diabetes control.
SUBMITTER: Tack CJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6286423 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Tack Cornelis J CJ Lancee Gerardus J GJ Heeren Barend B Engelen Lucien Jlpg LJ Hendriks Sandra S Zimmerman Lisa L De Massari Daniele D van Gelder Marleen Mhj MM van de Belt Tom H TH
JMIR diabetes 20181123 4
<h4>Background</h4>Self-monitoring and self-management, crucial for optimal glucose control in type 1 diabetes, requires many disease-related decisions per day and imposes a substantial disease burden on people with diabetes. Innovative technologies that integrate relevant measurements may offer solutions that support self-management, decrease disease burden, and benefit diabetes control.<h4>Objective</h4>The objective of our study was to evaluate a prototype integrated mobile phone diabetes app ...[more]