JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The rising cost of unscheduled acute healthcare, particularly for emergency department (ED) visits, poses significant financial burdens, especially for patients with diabetes, with US ED costs reaching $19.3 million in 2022. This study explores the impact of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention with augmented social support on healthcare utilization among diabetes patients through a secondary analysis of the TExT-MEDS + FANS randomized controlled trial. The trial involved 173 participants randomized into mHealth-augmented social support (FANS) and traditional support (mailed pamphlet) groups. Results showed significant reductions in acute unscheduled care visits for both groups during and after the intervention, with the FANS group experiencing a reduction of 1.04 visits during the intervention and 1.10 visits post-intervention, while the control group had reductions of 1.47 and 1.53 visits, respectively. Clinic visits increased during the intervention phase but did not sustain post-intervention, and hospitalizations modestly decreased in both groups. Gender and supporter relationship differences were observed, with females supported by spouses in the active control group showing the largest decrease in unscheduled care visits. The findings suggest that mHealth interventions combined with social support can effectively manage diabetes and reduce healthcare costs, particularly for groups with limited access to care.