Dataset Information

Effectiveness of Disease-Specific mHealth Apps in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: Scoping Review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

According to the World Health Organization, the worldwide prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing dramatically and DM comprises a large part of the global burden of disease. At the same time, the ongoing digitalization that is occurring in society today offers novel possibilities to deal with this challenge, such as the creation of mobile health (mHealth) apps. However, while a great variety of DM-specific mHealth apps exist, the evidence in terms of their clinical effectiveness is still limited.

Objective

The objective of this review was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of mHealth apps in DM management by analyzing health-related outcomes in patients diagnosed with type 1 DM (T1DM), type 2 DM (T2DM), and gestational DM.

Methods

A scoping review was performed. A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection databases for studies published between January 2008 and October 2020. The studies were categorized by outcomes and type of DM. In addition, we carried out a meta-analysis to determine the impact of DM-specific mHealth apps on the management of glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c).

Results

In total, 27 studies comprising 2887 patients were included. We analyzed 19 randomized controlled trials, 1 randomized crossover trial, 1 exploratory study, 1 observational study, and 5 pre-post design studies. Overall, there was a clear improvement in HbA_1c values in patients diagnosed with T1DM and T2DM. In addition, positive tendencies toward improved self-care and self-efficacy as a result of mHealth app use were found. The meta-analysis revealed an effect size, compared with usual care, of a mean difference of -0.54% (95% CI -0.8 to -0.28) for T2DM and -0.63% (95% CI -0.93 to -0.32) for T1DM.

Conclusions

DM-specific mHealth apps improved the glycemic control by significantly reducing HbA_1c values in patients with T1DM and T2DM patients. In general, mHealth apps effectively enhanced DM management. However, further research in terms of clinical effectiveness needs to be done in greater detail.

SUBMITTER: Eberle C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7920757 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effectiveness of Disease-Specific mHealth Apps in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: Scoping Review.

Eberle Claudia C Löhnert Maxine M Stichling Stefanie S

JMIR mHealth and uHealth 20210215 2

<h4>Background</h4>According to the World Health Organization, the worldwide prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing dramatically and DM comprises a large part of the global burden of disease. At the same time, the ongoing digitalization that is occurring in society today offers novel possibilities to deal with this challenge, such as the creation of mobile health (mHealth) apps. However, while a great variety of DM-specific mHealth apps exist, the evidence in terms of their clinical ...[more]

PMID: 33587045

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Project description:BACKGROUND:There is mixed evidence to support current ambitions for mobile health (mHealth) apps to improve chronic health and well-being. One proposed explanation for this variable effect is that users do not engage with apps as intended. The application of analytics, defined as the use of data to generate new insights, is an emerging approach to study and interpret engagement with mHealth interventions. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to consolidate how analytic indicators of engagement have previously been applied across clinical and technological contexts, to inform how they might be optimally applied in future evaluations. METHODS:We conducted a scoping review to catalog the range of analytic indicators being used in evaluations of consumer mHealth apps for chronic conditions. We categorized studies according to app structure and application of engagement data and calculated descriptive data for each category. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests of independence were applied to calculate differences between coded variables. RESULTS:A total of 41 studies met our inclusion criteria. The average mHealth evaluation included for review was a two-group pretest-posttest randomized controlled trial of a hybrid-structured app for mental health self-management, had 103 participants, lasted 5 months, did not provide access to health care provider services, measured 3 analytic indicators of engagement, segmented users based on engagement data, applied engagement data for descriptive analyses, and did not report on attrition. Across the reviewed studies, engagement was measured using the following 7 analytic indicators: the number of measures recorded (76%, 31/41), the frequency of interactions logged (73%, 30/41), the number of features accessed (49%, 20/41), the number of log-ins or sessions logged (46%, 19/41), the number of modules or lessons started or completed (29%, 12/41), time spent engaging with the app (27%, 11/41), and the number or content of pages accessed (17%, 7/41). Engagement with unstructured apps was mostly measured by the number of features accessed (8/10, P=.04), and engagement with hybrid apps was mostly measured by the number of measures recorded (21/24, P=.03). A total of 24 studies presented, described, or summarized the data generated from applying analytic indicators to measure engagement. The remaining 17 studies used or planned to use these data to infer a relationship between engagement patterns and intended outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:Although researchers measured on average 3 indicators in a single study, the majority reported findings descriptively and did not further investigate how engagement with an app contributed to its impact on health and well-being. Researchers are gaining nuanced insights into engagement but are not yet characterizing effective engagement for improved outcomes. Raising the standard of mHealth app efficacy through measuring analytic indicators of engagement may enable greater confidence in the causal impact of apps on improved chronic health and well-being.

Dataset Information

Effectiveness of Disease-Specific mHealth Apps in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: Scoping Review.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Effectiveness of Disease-Specific mHealth Apps in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: Scoping Review.

Similar Datasets

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