Apps help Type 2 patients self-manage disease

Cardiff University in October found that smartphone apps could offer patients with Type 2 diabetes a highly effective method of self-managing their condition.

(To view the full Diabetes Report, click here.)

“As we enter an era where portable technology increasingly is used to improve our lifestyles, as can already be seen with physical activity technology, apps can offer a large percentage of the world’s population a low-cost and dynamic solution to Type 2 diabetes management,” noted Ben Carter from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. “By the end of the decade, it is predicted that global usage of mobile phones will exceed 5 billion, so apps, used in combination with other self-management strategies, could form the basis of diabetes education and self-management.”

A systematic review of 14 previous studies involving 1,360 patients found that all had reported a reduction in average blood-glucose levels in patients who used an app, compared with those who did not, with an approximate reduction in HbA1c of about 0.5%. The analysis also found that younger patients were more likely to report a benefit.

Diabetes management includes monitoring and managing blood-glucose levels. Current diabetes apps allow patients to enter data and provide feedback on improved management.