Technology is often hailed as the ideal way to educate, inform and advise people with serious health conditions – the rise in mobile phone apps and programs that can be used on a home PC are testament to the explosion in technological-based health advice in recent years.
However, new research suggests that people with diabetes are getting little or no benefit from the interactive interventions that are designed to improve their health and quality of life.
A review of 16 past studies, carried out by researchers from University College, London, suggested that these programs and apps do have potential but there is little evidence to suggest that they are having the desired effect on their target audience.
As a chronic, long-term health condition, diabetes is one of the diseases where patients most benefit from regular interventions, such as weight and cholesterol checks. However, the effective face-to-face education programs, where a health professional spends time with each patient and advises specifically on their condition, are too expensive to maintain while also failing to reach every patient who needs the help. Consequently, mobile and online programs have been developed and patients encouraged to seek out advice and education away from the GP’s surgery.
The programs include social network sites and peer support groups, while some projects were surgery-based. The London research team looked at 16 studies involving around 3,600 people in the US, China and South Korea, in which participants had been randomly assigned to one of three interventions: a computer or mobile phone program; printed materials; or standard diabetes care.
The 16 studies included a total of about 3,600 people with diabetes in the United States, UK, South Korea and China. Participants were randomly assigned to use a computer- or mobile phone-based program for between one and twelve months or to receive standard diabetes care or another type of intervention, such as printed materials.
The review demonstrated that rather than benefit from a general program, people with diabetes need individual help to manage their condition and need to be able to discuss any problems with their doctor or practice nurse. There was a small improvement in the blood sugar levels of those who used the online programs compared to the other two groups but the expected improvements in weight, cholesterol and quality of life were not evident.
More research is now expected into how to design computer programs and apps that offer a more individualistic approach for diabetes patients.
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