Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Mar 15, 2019
Open Peer Review Period: Mar 18, 2019 - May 13, 2019
Date Accepted: Mar 29, 2020
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Comparing social and communication apps, telephone, and usual care for diabetes self-management: A three arm quasi-experimental evaluation study
ABSTRACT
Background:
There are many technology-assisted innovations used to address disease management. However, most of them are not broadly used by older adults due to their cost. Besides, disease management through the technology-assisted innovations does not compared with other interventions.
Objective:
This study tested the employment of a widely and freely used social and communication app for helping older adults with diabetes manage their distress and glycemic control. It also compared the effectiveness with two other methods, including telephone and conventional health education, and to determine which sub-group experiences the most effects within each intervention.
Methods:
Adults aged ≥50 with type 2 diabetes were recruited from Southern Taiwan (N=231) and were allocated to different 3-month interventions.
Results:
Informed consent was obtained at the Ministry of Science and Technology and approved by the National Cheng Kung University Hospital Institutional Review Board (No. A-ER-102-425). Participants in the mobile-based group had a significant reduction in hemoglobin A1C as compared with the telephone-based and usual care groups (mean change=-0.4, 0.1, 0.03, respectively, P=.02). Diabetes-specific distress reduced to a greater extent in the mobile-based group as compared to the other two groups (mean change=-5.16, -3.49, and -2.44, respectively, P=.02). Subgroup analyses further revealed that the effects on reducing blood glucose level in the social and communication app group was especially evident in those with lower distress scores, and diabetes-related distress was especially evident in those who aged less than 60 years or with higher educational levels, respectively.
Conclusions:
Findings from this study inform a more flexible use of social and communication apps in person with diabetes education and counselling. Clinical Trial: This study was approved by the Institution Review Board (IRB) of National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Taiwan (No. A-ER- 102-425). This study is identical with what the IRB assessed when providing approval before the trial started.
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