Mobile app helps improve glycaemic control among diabetics

Use of an app-based mobile health (mHealth) program by individuals with diabetes has resulted in clinically meaningful improvement in glycaemic control, a study has shown.

“MHealth programs with 24/7 app access and frequent interaction with remote providers ease the learning, practice, application, and daily integration of self-care skills and health improvement behaviours for people diagnosed with diabetes, especially those at high risk for cardiometabolic and mental health complications,” the investigators said.

A single-arm, retrospective study was performed to assess the effectiveness of the app-based Vida Health Diabetes Management program on measures of glycaemic control in a population at high risk for the development of diabetes-related complications (HbA1c ≥8.0 percent).

Participants received the mHealth program, which used one-to-one remote sessions with dietitians and specialists, as well as structured lessons and tools related to diabetes management, as part of their medical insurance benefit.

The eligibility criteria for participants were as follows: a valid laboratory HbA1c completed between 21 to 365 days of enrolment and a follow-up laboratory HbA1c value within 90 to 365 days after enrolment. The investigators used two-tailed paired t-tests to assess changes in HbA1c between baseline and follow-up.

Participants with HbA1c ≥8.0 percent at baseline (n=1,023) showed a reduction of ‒1.37 points in HbA1c between baseline and follow-up (mean 9.84 to 8.47; p<0.001). In addition, a decrease of ‒1.94 points in HbA1c was noted between baseline and follow-up (mean 10.77 to 8.83; p<0.001) among those with HbA1c ≥9.0 percent (n=618).

“Future work should aim to identify mechanisms of this, and other mHealth interventions, most associated with glycaemic control,” the investigators said.